Virginia Football Notes: UVA Releases Initial Test Results As Players Return

By: Kris Wright |

The Virginia football program welcomed student-athletes back earlier this week for voluntary workouts, the team’s first return to Grounds since the school closed following spring break in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Prior to beginning voluntary workouts, the athletics department tested returning players and it released those results Friday.

A total of 110 student-athletes were tested and two came back with positive tests for COVID-19. None of the student-athletes who tested positive required hospitalization. Individuals who tested positive will self-isolate for at least 10 days or until symptoms are gone plus three days fever free, whichever is longer, per a UVA news release. Known close contacts of those who test positive will also be asked to self-quarantine for at least 14 days and are unable to take part in daily sports functions.

Student-athletes will be medically evaluated, including cardiac screening, prior to returning to sports activity.

Virginia athletics sports medicine administered the tests. The UVA Health System clinical laboratory processed the rests. All results were reported to the Thomas Jefferson Health District and the Virginia Department of Health.

Student-athletes cleared to participate began voluntary workouts Friday morning following the testing and results earlier this week. Those players also underwent physical exams and cardiac testing. Required football activities are scheduled to begin next Wednesday on July 15. Those activities include up to eight hours per week of weight training, conditioning, and film review. That expands to 20 hours per week from July 26 to August 8 with preseason practice scheduled to begin on August 9.

UVA Director of Athletics Carla Williams addressed some of the questions around the return to sports on Grounds in a Q&A with Jeff White, which can be found at this link on VirginiaSports.com.

Hubbard Announces Transfer

Offensive lineman Ja’Quay Hubbard, a true freshman that appeared in two games last season for UVA, announced via Twitter that he has entered the NCAA transfer portal. He retained his redshirt last season under new NCAA rules.

Cavalier coach Bronco Mendenhall announced in March that Hubbard was among a group of players that had left the football program in the offseason. At that time, Mendenhall said that Hubbard planned to transfer to a junior college program. Speculation on the message boards indicated that Hubbard might return to UVA after a JUCO stint, but the four star recruit’s announcement Friday changed that possibility.

The Hoos return the top six offensive linemen from last season’s ACC Coastal Division title team.

ACC Football Schedule Plans

Earlier this week, the Big Ten Conference announced that it would play a conference only schedule for football this fall. The ACC has not announced what its plan for the fall will be yet and ACC Commissioner John Swofford released a statement on Friday as a status update. Swofford’s statement follows:

“The health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches and administrators remains the ACC’s top priority. As we continue to work on the best possible path forward for the return of competition, we will do so in a way that appropriately coincides with our universities’ academic missions. Over the last few months, our conference has prepared numerous scenarios related to the fall athletics season. The league membership and our medical advisory group will make every effort to be as prepared as possible during these unprecedented times, and we anticipate a decision by our Board of Directors in late July.”