As the ACC pushes forward with its fall football plans, COVID-19 continues to run rampant everywhere. One question on Notre Dame fans’ minds has to be what happens to the season if the South Bend campus sees an outbreak of the virus. If present trends continue, we might get an answer soon.
The South Bend Tribune has reported a COVID-19 spike at Notre Dame. Before descending on campus, the nearly 12,000 returning students had to get tested for the virus. Only 33, or less than a half percent, tested positive. Now that students are back, things have taken a dramatic turn.
From Aug. 6 to Friday, Notre Dame has reported 29 positive tests, including 10 on the final day of that span. Since Aug. 3, there has been an 8 percent positivity rate. One university spokesman attributed many of the positive tests to an off-campus party, which was covered by WSBT-TV.
While Notre Dame is not at critical mass yet, it continues to be worth questioning what happens if students are sent home this fall and football continues to be played. What will it say if the players have to remain while their fellow students are elsewhere? At that point, the university would have some serious explaining to do for what would seem like reckless behavior. A lot of soul searching might be on the horizon.