As college basketball inches closer to its starting point, multiple power conferences have begun discussions about shifting to the daily testing methods that have already been put in place by both the Big Ten and the Pac-12, multiple sources said on Sunday night.
This could alleviate contact tracing on the court and give the sport a greater chance of making it through the 20-21 season despite dealing with the COVID-19 global pandemic.
One head coach from the Big Ten and one from the Pac-12 — Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and Washington State’s Kyle Smith — have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past few weeks, but their respective teams didn’t have to go on pause because of the daily testing methods.
Multiple college basketball programs have been shut down and put on pause in the last few weeks after several non-coaching/playing members of its program tested positive for COVID-19.
Local health guidelines will ultimately determine what is acceptable to each program.
Several key figures in college basketball believe that lessening the CDC’s recommended 14-day quarantine following a positive COVID-19 test is the X-Factor to having a somewhat successful season in spite of a once-in-a-century health crisis.