Stanford football joins list of line-jumpers avoiding COVID-19 restrictions

moving to Arizona, and the San Jose State Spartans, which are expected to announce a temporary home soon.

“There is no question that contact sports—where we have seen outbreaks across the nation—is an activity that inherently cannot be done with social distancing, and there have been outbreaks on teams across the country,” Santa Clara County said in response to a question about the ban on contact sports.

The county said its priority is to protect hospital capacity to ensure people get the critical care they need. It previously said it was disappointed when the San Jose State football team moved out of the county before the season to avoid other county health restrictions that limited its ability to prepare for the season. The Spartans instead bussed up to Humboldt County, 325 miles north, where the restrictions were looser on public gatherings, allowing them to practice more normally.

have temporarily moved to Arizona and Texas while the New Mexico football team has relocated to Las Vegas.

“I’m sympathetic to the effect of the pandemic on collegiate athletes and college budgets, but these are extraordinary times and they call for stringent measures,” Virginia Tech epidemiologist Charlotte Baker told USA TODAY Sports. “Playing sports in the midst of the pandemic without a WNBA/NBA bubble situation has proven to not be the safest route to continue participating in activities. I urge colleges and their supporters to identify safer alternatives within the boundaries set by their home state. We can bring an end to this pandemic but everyone needs to participate in the solutions.”

It could be a while before the teams move back to the Bay Area. Santa Clara County also requires persons entering the county to quarantine for 14 days upon return from travel of more than 150 miles.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer on Twitter @Schrotenboer. E-mail: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

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