Clemson: 2 Football Players, 1 Basketball Player Tested Positive for COVID-19

Three college athletes at Clemson University have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Two football players and one men's basketball player have contracted COVID-19, the school announced Friday. It conducted 169 tests for the virus on athletes on the football, men's basketball and women's basketball teams, as well as staff members who directly interact with those programs.

The school is not releasing the names of the students who tested positive.

Clemson required players who returned to campus to practice social distancing for two weeks before participating in the testing program, which began June 8.

The Tigers are preparing to begin voluntary workouts across multiple sports and are working to mitigate the risk involved with students practicing in larger groups.

Per Greg Hadley of The State, the school is only in Phase I of three for reopening, which includes limiting access to strength and conditioning activities, workouts of no more than 10 people—all wearing masks and standing six feet apart—unorganized individual access to outdoor facilities and the closing of team lounges.

Additionally, the school will clean and sanitize equipment at the start and end of each day as well as between each individual use.

In its statement announcing the test results, the Clemson athletic department explained the process for handling positive tests:

"When a student-athlete is diagnosed with COVID-19, DHEC [the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control] will be notified according to their guidelines as means to trace known contacts. Specific individuals will not be identified. [Clemson University Athletic Department] Sports Medicine will isolate the positive case and possible contacts. Individuals with symptoms and known exposure to a positive COVID-19 patient should self-quarantine or isolate and be further medically evaluated as soon as possible."

The NCAA is still on track to open the college football and basketball seasons without delay, though no decision has been made on if fans will be allowed to watch games in the stand or what the limits on maximum attendance will be.

Clemson's football season begins Sept. 3 against Georgia Tech. Fall sport athletes are expected to return to campus in mid-June.