We’re all in uncharted territory in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The guidelines and safety measures appear to be evolving week by week. When the coronavirus outbreak initially began, many didn’t expect the 2020 college football season to kick off.
After many back and forth discussions between health officials and each Power Five conference, it was eventually declared safe to proceed with playing in the fall.
It’s not just a matter of each staff member and player being tested three times a week. It requires extreme attention to detail, discipline and consistent adaptation.
Texas has been viewed as the gold standard of how they’ve successfully operated during the pandemic. Longhorn Network further solidified that point when they released a behind the scenes video of the preparation of travel prior to — and during — their trip to Lubbock.
Even just listening to the compilation of the seating chart is enough to have you scratching your head. Texas head coach Tom Herman noted in the video that he’s wary of contact tracing from a flight.
The Chief of Staff for the Texas football program, Fernando Lovo, spent an ample amount of time determining specific seat assignments on the plane to eliminate entire positions groups getting wiped out at the same time.
The video also showcases players wearing both a mask and a face shield while traveling for extra protection. On top of that, every single player that travels with the team has their own hotel room.
Typical routines and gameday rituals may look much different this season, but the entire Texas football program deserves to be applauded for how they’ve handled these health and safety precautions thus far.