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Syracuse football players chose not to practice for the third time during their first week of training camp, CNYCentral reported.

The players want more frequent COVID-19 testing during the preseason and won’t practice until the most recent test results are returned, according to Syracuse.com. Currently, the Orange are tested every other week.

SU chose to sit out the first two days of practice, on Aug. 6 and Aug. 7, citing concerns with other Atlantic Coast Conference schools’ policies for protecting against COVID-19. The team instead held meetings with head coach Dino Babers and Director of Athletics John Wildhack.

The most recent decision comes a few hours after an ESPN report outlined how Florida State players are upset with their administration, claiming that they had been lied to about promises for weekly testing. 

Black said he had briefly seen the news on Twitter and that it “brings yourself to ask a couple questions.” But he’s content with SU’s testing policies and felt safer on campus than at home in Illinois. Syracuse administered 1,344 COVID-19 tests between Aug. 2 and Tuesday, with all 400 tests among athletes and athletic staff coming back negative.

“If they were basing a national championship, Final Four off of COVID testing and who had the lowest number, I really believe we’d be in the Final Four,” Babers said Aug. 10.

Published on August 13, 2020 at 7:12 pm

Contact Adam: adhillma@syr.edu | @_adamhillman