Boise State suspends workouts after COVID-19 tests; travel ban won’t stop California teams
The Boise State football team suspended voluntary workouts after a rash of positive coronavirus tests led the university to temporarily close all on-campus facilities from Tuesday to Sunday.
Over the past 48 hours, Boise State was notified of eight positive or presumed positive COVID-19 tests from individuals who were on campus in the past week, according to a press release sent out by the school Monday evening.
The release did not specify if any of the positive tests came from athletes. But a spokesperson for the Boise State football team confirmed Monday that the Broncos have suspended workouts through Sunday in accordance with the university’s announcement.
“This is difficult, but our overall goal remains the same — keeping our community, campus, student-athletes and staff safe through these challenging times,” Boise State Athletic Director Curt Apsey said in a statement released Monday. “I’m very appreciative of the way our department has stepped up to provide the safest environment within our facilities for our entire staff and student-athletes.”
Through Sunday, the only individuals allowed in Boise State’s facilities are security staff and housing administrative staff who are essential to assist students who remain in campus housing.
Boise State football and soccer players began returning to campus during the first week of June. On June 8, the university confirmed multiple athletes had tested positive for COVID-19. It declined to reveal how many or what sport they played.
Travel ban won’t stop Mountain West teams
Mountain West programs Fresno State and San Jose State said Monday that their teams will travel to Idaho this fall despite California’s restriction on state-sponsored travel to the state over what it deemed as two discriminatory laws.
On Monday evening, representatives from both schools told the Idaho Statesman that neither athletic department uses state funds for travel, so their teams will be exempt. On Tuesday morning, Boise State issued a statement saying that its department was “evaluating the potential impacts of the travel ban.”
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced the restrictions Monday over Idaho’s House Bills 500 and 509, both of which “directly authorize discrimination against the transgender community,” according to a press release from the AG’s office.
“Where states legislate discrimination, California unambiguously speaks out,” Becerra said in the release. “The State of Idaho has taken drastic steps to undermine the rights of the transgender community, preventing people from playing sports in school or having documentation that reflects their identity. Let’s not beat around the bush: these laws are plain and simple discrimination. That’s why Idaho joins the list of AB 1887 discriminating states.”
HB 500 prevents transgender athletes from competing on female teams, while HB 509 made it illegal for transgender people to change their gender on their Idaho birth certificate. On March 30, Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed both into law.
On June 11, the NCAA issued a statement calling HB 500 “harmful to transgender student-athletes” after several prominent athletes and advocate groups asked it to ban Idaho from hosting NCAA-sponsored events.
Boise State is scheduled to host first- and second-round games in the 2021 NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
This story was originally published June 22, 2020 at 8:22 PM.
