Multiple Tennessee Vols athletes testing positive for coronavirus leads our July 16, 2020 Volunteers news.
COVID-19 continues to raise tons of questions about what will happen the rest of the year, including how the college football season shakes out. Now, there’s a new story on how it affects the Tennessee Vols.
Our morning update on Rocky Top leads with the virus’ impact on UT and reports on what happened with it on Wednesday. The news is alarming, to say the least, but it’s still nothing to panic over just yet given how it has affected other schools.
Beyond just the virus, though, we also have coverage of another football player being on a watch list. We’ll close with the virus’ impact on a tournament that the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball program is set to play in later this year. So there is plenty of news to cover. Let’s start with the breaking story on the virus itself.
UT athletes test positive for COVID-19 – Patrick Brown, GoVols247
A round of testing after the Fourth of July weekend brought multiple positive tests to Tennessee Vols athletes who are on campus. It even reached the football program after nobody from there tested positive in June.
"Athletes who have tested positive are required to be isolated and treated based on guidelines from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. That isolation will occur in either the athlete’s dorm room or off-campus housing and there will be frequent follow-ups with the sports medicine staff. Tennessee also is requiring individuals who had close contact with the infected athlete to be isolated and closely monitored for Covid-19 symptoms."
Eric Gray named to Doak Walker watch list – UTsports
As he enters his sophomore year with the Tennessee Vols football program, running back Eric Gray has been named to the Doak Walker Award preseason watch list. The award is given annually to the nation’s best running back. Although he finished second on the team in rushing to Ty Chandler with just 539 yards, his finish to the season is what made a lasting impact.
"Gray, a native of Memphis, closed the 2019 season in spectacular fashion, racking up 366 yards and four touchdowns in the final two games of the year. He earned most valuable player honors of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl with a game-high 120 yards rushing, the game-winning score and the recovery of a key onside kick."
Tournament hosting Lady Vols moved to Florida – Dave Berman, Florida Today
The 2020 Cancun Challenge, which is set to include the Tennessee women’s basketball program, has been moved from Cancun, Mexico to Brevard County in Florida due to concerns over COVID-19. It will be called the Space Coast Challenge. According to reports, the tournament will be held at East Florida State College’s campus in Melbourne, Fla. from Nov. 22-29.
"Among the men’s teams Carlson listed in her presentation were Bucknell, Clemson, Eastern Tennessee State, Illinois State, Mississippi State, Purdue and Rider.Among the women’s teams she listed are Florida State, Houston, Iowa, Northeastern, Purdue, Tennessee, Toledo, University of Southern California and Virginia Commonwealth.The lineup of teams, however, potentially could change, depending on the policies of the basketball conferences and decisions by individual universities."