By CADE KENNEDY, Sports Editor
Northwestern will implement testing requirements for unvaccinated student athletes in accordance with the NCAA and the Great American Conference.
The Great American Conference is requiring that 25% of all unvaccinated student athletes in each sport be tested for COVID-19 once a week. The requirements come as COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the nation, and universities are taking several steps to make the athletic season go as planned.
Players from each team will be selected at random.
“We are doing everything we can to encourage not just our student athletes, but all students to be vaccinated,” said Brad Franz, Northwestern’s athletic director. “We are making vaccination pods frequently available on campus, as well as giving students more opportunities to get vaccinated.
“The bottom line is that we want everyone who wants to be vaccinated, vaccinated.”
The NCAA released its guidelines in August. The organization says fully vaccinated student athletes do not have to take COVID-19 tests unless they have encountered someone who tested positive — or if the team has sustained transmission of the virus.
Vaccinated student athletes will not have to quarantine because of exposure to COVID-19 if they test negative three to five days after the exposure, or if the case is determined to have a low risk. The NCAA encourages vaccinated but exposed student athletes to wear masks indoors for 14 days, even if they continue to test negative.
The NCAA recommends that unvaccinated people wear masks and practice social distancing. The guidelines also recommend that vaccinated student athletes wear masks while at indoor team meetings and nonathletic events.
Some of Northwestern’s student athletes say they support vaccination.
“I have already lost loved ones because of COVID-19, so this does not change much for me as I already plan to get vaccinated,” said Brian Holiday, a defensive lineman on the football team.
Holiday is not the only one who plans to get vaccinated.
“I just need to take care of business and get it to make sure I can play,” said Anthony Cochrane II, a linebacker on the football team.