Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech Players to Wear Masks During Play After COVID Mandate

Members of Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech will wear face coverings on the field during Saturday's game amid rising number of COVID-19 cases across the country. 

"In alignment with the recent guidance from state officials regarding the current health climate, Pitt's football team will be appropriately outfitted for Saturday's game with face coverings to use on the field and sideline," Pitt said in a statement (via ESPN's Andrea Adelson). "This is being communicated to Virginia Tech's sports medicine staff as well."

The Pennsylvania Department of Health issued new COVID-19-related mandates on Tuesday. In addition to fans attending games, coaches and players are required to wear a mask or face covering "if they cannot maintain sustained physical distance from persons outside of their household."

College football conferences have laid down numerous guidelines because of the pandemic, such as enforcing face mask rules for coaches and players on the sideline. Prior to Pennsylvania's announcement, players didn't have to wear masks on the field, however.

The NFL explored the possibility of adding a protective face shield to helmets, with Oakley producing a prototype in July. Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported the league wanted to make the face shields mandatory but was getting a level of resistance from the NFL Players Association.

Pittsburgh's matchup with Virginia Tech is the Panthers' final home game of the season. The Pittsburgh Steelers, meanwhile, host the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving and have two games after that at Heinz Field.

According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Joe Rutter, Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten initially said the team "received guidance" from the office of Gov. Tom Wolf that exempted the team from the state's new mandates. Lyndsay Kensinger, Wolf's press secretary, said the governor's administration "did not grant an exemption."