By Jarra Gojolo — Senior Content Editor
San Jose State football is planning to return to San Jose on Wednesday, in the wake of Santa Clara County loosening restrictions on the team’s ability to practice.
The Spartans have spent nearly two weeks in Arcata, California, practicing at Humboldt State University’s Redwood Bowl as a way around Santa Clara County’s restrictions. 141 members of the team — including players, coaches and staff — made the trip to Humboldt County on Oct. 2 as an agreement with the two universities.
The team had been limited to conditioning and skill development practices at San Jose State before their departure.
Santa Clara County is now in Tier Three (orange) of its COVID-19 risk levels. Counties in this tier have a seven-day average one to four new cases per 100,000 people, and a positivity rate of between 2% and 5.2%. California counties can range from Tier One (purple), the most restrictive tier, to Tier Four (yellow), the least restrictive.
While in tier red, Santa Clara County’s “Mandatory Directive for Recreational and Athletic Activities and Facilities” was in effect, preventing SJSU and nearby Stanford University from holding football practices. The move to orange tier has replaced that order with the “Mandatory Directive for Collegiate and Professional Athletics.”
In addition to the state rules regarding collegiate athletics, the county requires athletes and other team personnel to receive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests three times a week. Both home and away teams — along with any officials — will have to receive PCR tests 48 hours prior to any competition.
Any antigen testing will have to be done in addition to the required PCR tests. If an antigen test comes back positive, a PCR test is required immediately after.
Each collegiate team in the county will have to designate a “COVID-19 Designee,” who will respond to the athletic program’s COVID-19 concerns, maintain testing results, receive and review visiting team’s and officials’ pre-competition test results, and notify the visiting team of any positive tests collected within 72 hours after the game.
In the case of a positive test the designee will have to notify the COVID-positive person, along with Santa Clara County, within four hours of receiving the result.
Designees will also have to keep track of all athlete households — they can only live with teammates or their spouse and children.
With clearance to play and practice, SJSU Football can continue to prepare for the upcoming season at South Campus.
“San Jose State University Athletics looks forward to the return of the football team back to campus,” SJSU Athletics said in a statement. “We want to thank everyone connected with Humboldt State University for hosting the Spartans since their arrival on October 2. It was a wonderful collaboration of two CSU schools. The football program will continue following all Santa Clara County COVID-19 health and safety protocols and guidelines to get ready for the start of the 2020 season.”
The Spartans are less than two weeks away from the beginning of their eight game conference-only schedule. On Oct. 24 they’ll kick off the octet at CEFCU Stadium against Air Force, whose season began on Oct. 3 with a 40-7 drubbing against Navy.
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