The pandemic hit the Big Ten Conference just two weeks into its football season Wednesday as No. 9 Wisconsin canceled its game at Nebraska and paused team activities for at least a week after a dozen people in the program – including coach Paul Chryst – tested positive for COVID-19.
Badgers athletic director Barry Alvarez and Rebecca Blank, the school’s chancellor, made the decision in consultation with league officials. Alvarez said the team had only one positive test two days before last Friday’s season-opening 45-7 victory over Illinois and 12 positive tests afterward.
“With the number of positives in that short a timeline, the chancellor and I felt we have an issue, that we have to make this decision and get our arms around this and control the COVID and virus now before it got out of hand,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez said Wisconsin had reached the “orange/red” levels in the Big Ten protocol based on its rate of positive tests. The league has said teams in that area must proceed with caution; among the steps is considering the viability of playing.
Chryst said he underwent a polymerase chain reaction test Tuesday and learned Wednesday morning he was positive.