Just two days after the official start of intercollegiate activities, Emporia State University has pressed pause on athletics for the foreseeable future.
The university made the announcement Wednesday after the discovery of multiple positive COVID-19 cases amongst student-athletes. The university was alerted to the positive cases Tuesday by Lyon County Public Health who have begun a cluster investigation as a result.
A total of five active cases were announced, all of which are connected to the ESU baseball team. The situation was compounded by the discovery of additional COVID-19 cases leading to the suspension.
The university stated in a news release the decision “was made out of an abundance of caution.” As of 3 pm Wednesday, a total of 14 student-athletes have tested positive for coronavirus out of 400 student-athletes across all athletic teams.
During the suspension, academic meetings will be permitted and random COVID-19 testing in student-athletes will continue. ESU President Allison Garrett stated via the aforementioned news release, “This could not be a wait-and-see situation. We must work together to stop further spread for the benefit of our entire campus community – students, faculty and staff.”
