LSU head football coach Ed Orgeron told reporters on Tuesday that most of the members of his team have contracted COVID-19.
"Not all of our players, but most of our players have caught it," Orgeron told reporters. "I think that hopefully they won't catch it again, and hopefully they're not out for games."
ESPN reports that Orgeron’s comments came on the heels of an announcement from Texas Tech, which reported a running total of 75 positive cases on its football team since players returned to campus in June.
Many college football programs aren’t reporting statistics among teams regarding test results, but Orgeron has admitted that testing had limited player availability in recent weeks. Orgeron said two weeks ago that all but two or three of the team’s offensive lineman had to miss practice due to testing.
"You have to make adjustments," he said.
Southeastern Conference protocols say that players who test positive for the virus aren’t required to take another test for 90 days.
"Hopefully that once you catch it, you don't get it again," Orgeron said. "I'm not a doctor. I think they have that 90-day window, so most of the players that have caught it, we do feel like they'll be eligible for games."
LSU opens its football season with a home game against Mississippi State on Sept. 26.
