The Fresno State men’s basketball team announced it is pausing all basketball activities for a minimum of two weeks, as recommended by the Fresno County Department of Public Health (FCDPH) on Sunday afternoon.
Fresno State Athletic Director Terry Tumey said there are multiple positive cases within the program but didn’t state the exact number.
“Though we have followed all proper COVID-19 protocols, unfortunately, we have confirmed multiple positive cases of COVID-19 within our men’s basketball program,” Tumey said. “Per our established protocols, the men’s basketball program will pause all athletic activity for a minimum of two weeks.”
All scheduled contests through Dec. 13 will be canceled or postponed, with games being rescheduled when further decisions are confirmed.
Due to the quarantine, this means that upcoming games against UC Riverside (Nov. 30), Pepperdine (Dec. 5), CSUN (Dec. 8) and Cal Poly (Dec. 12) are now up in the air.
“I am disappointed for our student-athletes, staff and fans that our program cannot practice or compete for a couple of weeks,” Fresno State men’s basketball head coach Justin Hutson.
Sunday’s announcement is the second time that the Fresno State men’s basketball team activities have put the program on hold. The first coming before the season on Oct. 30, three weeks before the start of the 2020-21 season.
Tumey said that they would continue to work with medical experts and the FCDPH to return to athletic activity.
“As always, we are committed to following all COVID-19 protocols, and our highest priority remains the health and safety of our student-athletes, staff, and campus community,” Tumey said.
The Fresno State men’s basketball team is not the only team hit with COVID-19 cases in recent weeks.
On Nov. 19, the athletic department announced that the Fresno State-San Jose State football game for Nov. 21 would be canceled due to positive cases within the Fresno State football team. Three days later, they announced that the Fresno State-San Diego State football game for Nov. 27 would also be canceled due to COVID-19 contact tracing.
