Notre Dame was sailing along with virtually no positive COVID tests, even with their aggressive testing and disease-avoidance protocols. Up until last week they had experienced only 1-2 positive tests in the entire football program since they began fall camp several weeks ago. Then as the result of last Friday's pre-game tests, they got hit hard. On Saturday morning the coaches were notified that five players were disqualified as the result of positive test results -- a starting cornerback, two starting linebackers, a starting wide receiver and a backup defensive end. All five players were disqualified for Saturday's game, ordered into a 14-day quarantine, with several required re-tests prior to them being able to play again. They'll miss the first two games, more if the positive test results actually produce sickness.
I don't know whether either Notre Dame or the ACC has the same rule that the B1G has adopted -- more than 5% positive tests from tests administered during a rolling seven day period will result in the cancellation of upcoming games. It seems to me that five positive tests in one day would begin to flirt with the B1G rule, if the ACC had a similar requirement.
Notre Dame didn't need those players for their game with USF, or probably for for Wake Forest next week. But if those players really do get sick, or if more players are quarantined as the result of contact tracing, or if more players test positive in coming days, they could be hurting for upcoming games with tougher ACC opponents.
I don't know whether either Notre Dame or the ACC has the same rule that the B1G has adopted -- more than 5% positive tests from tests administered during a rolling seven day period will result in the cancellation of upcoming games. It seems to me that five positive tests in one day would begin to flirt with the B1G rule, if the ACC had a similar requirement.
Notre Dame didn't need those players for their game with USF, or probably for for Wake Forest next week. But if those players really do get sick, or if more players are quarantined as the result of contact tracing, or if more players test positive in coming days, they could be hurting for upcoming games with tougher ACC opponents.
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