Maryland Pauses Workouts After 9 Athletes, Staff Test Positive for COVID-19

Maryland has temporarily paused its football team's voluntary workouts after nine student-athletes and athletic department staff members tested positive for COVID-19, per Emily Giambalvo of the Washington Post.

The football team was allowed to return to campus June 15 for voluntary workouts amid the COVID-19 pandemic, per Daniel Oyefusi of the Baltimore Sun.

A total of 185 people were screened in Maryland's latest round of testing, per Giambalvo. Maryland tested 105 student-athletes in June, and all results were negative.

The NCAA canceled its winter and spring sports championships March 12 because of COVID-19.

All student-athlete activities on campuses were postponed until June 1, when the NCAA allowed football and men's and women's basketball players to return to campuses for voluntary workouts.

Schools reacted to that news in different fashions. Of note, Maryland allowed just the football team back to campus to start, per CBS Baltimore. 

A few programs have been forced to shut down because of a spike in positive tests. Ohio State paused all voluntary workouts after members on seven varsity teams tested positive, per ESPN's Heather Dinich.

UNC football did so as well after 37 people within its athletics program tested positive, per ESPN's David M. Hale.

Clemson announced six more positive COVID-19 tests Friday, per Matt Connolly of The State. That's in addition to the 37 football players who have tested positive as of figures released June 26.

The news comes amid reports that the Ivy League has shut down its athletics programs through the 2020 calendar year and the Big Ten and Pac-12 are moving to conference-only slates for the fall.