Notre Dame is undefeated on the football field but struggling with COVID-19 away from it.
The Irish postponed last Saturday’s game at Wake Forest, and on Monday the program reported some grim testing numbers: 25 players are in isolation as a result of 18 positive tests last week. Another 14 players are in quarantine due to contact tracing. Those 39 sidelined players represent about 34% of the 114 players listed on the roster.
Notre Dame, which had a scheduled open date this week and is scheduled to host Florida State on Oct. 10, is not practicing. The team has resumed “conditioning activities … in consultation with the St. Joseph County Department of Health,” the school said in a statement.
Notre Dame has not made any coaches or players available to the media since Sept. 21, when coach Brian Kelly called the team’s COVID-19 plan “an evolving situation.”
Seven Irish players missed Notre Dame’s 52-0 drubbing of South Florida on Sept. 19 because of positive COVID-19 results or contact tracing. Two days later, the Irish canceled practice.
Kelly said last week that while the ACC mandates three tests a week, Irish players viewed to be at a higher risk — mainly linemen because of the impossibility of social distancing — were being tested every day.
Notre Dame’s issues will fuel those critical of schools for deciding to play college football during the pandemic.
