UCF Announces 3 Football Players Tested Positive for Coronavirus

UCF announced Tuesday that three football players have tested positive for the coronavirus:

The NCAA allowed players to return to campus June 1 after months away because of the ongoing pandemic, and UCF opened the doors for athletes right away. A reported 60 players were in attendance for voluntary workouts and each was tested, resulting in three positives.

The three players will be placed in isolation for two weeks, while those in direct contact with the players over the last two weeks have been notified.

Knights quarterback McKenzie Milton reportedly had a health scare in May when he had a slight fever and his throat hurt, but his COVID-19 test came back negative, according to Andrea Adelson and Heather Dinich of ESPN.

"It was terrible," he said of the test process, "but better safe than sorry."

The school announced last month all players would be tested as part of a reorientation week. There are other safety measures in place, including masks for support staff and additional cleaning of facilities.

UCF vice president and athletics director Danny White provided an update on the process:

"Certainly health and safety are our number-one priorities and are at the core of every element involved as we take the first step forward in terms of a return to college athletics, while at the same time being ever mindful of the challenges posed by COVID-19.

"Our staff has been consulting regularly with national health experts, as well as colleagues within our league (American Athletic Conference) and locally with Orlando Health. We are committed to keeping student-athletes, staff, coaches, campus and the community as safe as possible amid the pandemic. We expect flexibility to be required as we navigate multiple new sets of circumstances."

With multiple players testing positive, the program must be extra vigilant to keep everyone safe.