© 2024 WOSU Public Media
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Follow live Ohio election results.

Ohio State Halts Athletic Workouts Following COVID-19 Testing

A full crowd at Ohio Stadium.
The Ohio State University

The Ohio State University has suspended all voluntary athletic workouts on campus following a round of COVID-19 testing of students, the athletics department said in a statement Wednesday night. 

Seven Ohio State teams are impacted by the freeze, include football, men's and women's basketball, field hockey, men's and women's soccer, and women's volleyball.

The university said it is not releasing how many athletes tested positive for COVID-19 due to privacy concerns. 

Athletes who test positive for COVID-19 must self-isolate for 14 days and receive daily checkups from the athletic department's medical staff. Student-athletes who live alone can stay at their residence, but if they share a living space, they will have to self-isolate in a designated room on Ohio State's campus.

Buckeye football players started voluntary workouts on June 9. With social distancing measures in place, only nine players were allowed in each of the four workout areas, according to The Lantern

Ohio State is scheduled to start the 2020 season on September 5 at home against Bowling Green.

The NCAA approved football teams to be able to conduct organized workouts starting on July 24. 

The Ivy League announced on Wednesday it will not play sports this fall because of the coronavirus pandemic. The league left open the possibility of moving some seasons to the spring if the outbreak is better controlled by then. The move could have ripple effects throughout the big business of college sports.

In March, the Ivy League was the first Division I conference to cancel its post-season basketball tournament, a move that was later followed by other conferences. 

The University of North Carolina also paused its football workouts on Wednesday after reporting 37 positive test results for the new coronavirus among school athletes, coaches and staff.

Nick Houser leads the digital media team and oversees all things digital, including wosu.org, digital content, the WOSU Public Media Mobile App, social media, enewsletters, podcasts and on-demand video.
Related Content