Days From Its Delayed Football Opener, Cal Is Stalled Again by the Virus

Cal, coming off an 8-5 season, has hopes for a league title behind the experienced quarterback Chase Garbers. Practice began last month. Cal tested athletes before each workout, required masks at all times and preached the importance of avoiding the virus.

But on Wednesday, Wilcox revealed that a player had tested positive, though he had experienced no symptoms.

By Thursday, the game was off. Wilcox expressed frustration that one positive test could cancel one or more games, when he has seen teams in other parts of the country continue playing.

“I absolutely agree that there are different interpretations of contact tracing,” he said in a call with reporters on Thursday afternoon.

During the staff meeting on Monday, when the game was still scheduled, Kaci pressed for answers on all the unusual conditions: There would be no fans, no cheerleaders, no family members.

How would they keep would-be tailgaters and curious fans away? What if high-powered boosters or families of players beg to come or just show up? How many people could be in the press box? How and where would they conduct the mandatory pregame coronavirus testing for the teams?

Ryan Cobb, a senior associate athletic director, oversaw the testing protocols.

“I don’t think I’ve ever sat on a game day Monday with so many questions,” he told the group.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/05/sports/cal-washington-canceled-coronavirus.html