A few positive COVID-19 cases along with required contract tracing that impacted position groups forced Grambling to shut down football activities.
The Tigers were the latest HBCU program to feel the impact of the virus during the spring season.
As a result of its situation, Grambling State has canceled its next two games versus Alabama A&M on Saturday and Texas Southern on April 3, HBCU Sports reported Wednesday.
Grambling athletic director David Ponton told the News-Star Thursday that the program has three confirmed positive COVID-19 cases within the program and that contact tracing means that the team didn’t have enough eligible to play safely compete.
“We have cases where one person in three different groups tested positive,” Ponton said. “That takes out the whole group. We had to shutdown football activities because of contact tracing.”
Also read: Grambling State’s next two football games canceled due to positive COVID-19 tests
Grambling State isn’t the only football program in the SWAC that has battled virus issues, Prairie View A&M and Mississippi Valley State temporarily suspended operations after coronavirus affected their programs. Alcorn State opted to not participate in the spring season due to virus concerns.
In total, eight games have either postponed or canceled this season across the MEAC and SWAC because of COVID-19 issues.
Ponton did confirm that the annual Bayou Classic to be played on April 17 against Southern is expected to go on as scheduled.
