Ohio State Basketball: Why new COVID protocols could help the Buckeyes
By Jacob Rhymer
The Ohio State basketball team, unfortunately, remains under a COVID pause, but we could be turning the corner. With a possibility of new protocols, the hiatus could be coming to an end and we see the Buckeyes back on the court soon.
Right now the Big Ten is under a forfeit policy if games need to be postponed or canceled because of an outbreak within a Big Ten school. Well, the Associated Press announced on Twitter that the CDC is now recommending shorter quarantine times by shortening the original ten quarantine days to five days.
BREAKING: U.S. health officials are cutting isolation restrictions for those who test positive for the coronavirus and shortening the time that close contacts have to quarantine. People with the virus can leave isolation after five days, down from 10 days. https://t.co/cciaX1DdWT
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 27, 2021
Now the protocols in the Big Ten haven’t changed yet, but with the U.S. health officials recommending this it is significant news. If other conferences change their protocols because of this recommendation, the Big Ten could follow suit by getting rid of the forfeit policy and just shorten the number of isolation days so we can see our teams back on the floor quicker.
Multiple Big Ten teams are experiencing an outbreak including, as we already know, Ohio State. We thought we might see the Buckeyes back on the floor this past Tuesday, but COVID said otherwise. The news of their cancelation against New Orleans was a shock to everyone I think.
I think the Big Ten should get rid of the forfeit policy anyways. It isn’t fair to force teams to concede a loss because they can’t play with an outbreak within their team when they can just postpone a conference game to a later date. It would be the right move if the Big Ten gets rid of the forfeit policy and go with what the CDC recommends so we don’t have to go any longer without Buckeye hoops.
It’s been almost 3 weeks now since we’ve last seen this Ohio State basketball team on the hardwood. With the outbreak within the team still going on, the matchup Sunday with Nebraska could be in jeopardy.
Next. Which OSU guard will step up for hoops team. dark
It will be interesting to see what the Big Ten and all of college basketball does with this recommendation and if conferences enforce this rule change in their protocols, but they need to act fast.