For the second time this spring, the Stetson football program has been forced to cancel a competition due to a Covid outbreak within the program.
 
As a result of a limited number of positive test results, and a larger number of players placed in isolation due to contact tracing, the Hatters will not be able to play their scheduled game at Davidson this Saturday.
 
"We are disappointed because this was going to be the final opportunity for this group of players to compete together as a team," Hatters' head coach Roger Hughes said. "We have put player health and safety ahead of all other concerns since the start of this pandemic and we continue to work within CDC guidelines to keep the health of our community as our number one priority."
 
Stetson Athletics has maintained rigorous testing and contact tracing protocols throughout the last several months in an effort to give the student-athletes the best opportunity to have as complete an athletic experience as possible. Because of the thorough testing protocols, and in-depth contact tracing, Stetson Athletics teams have missed parts of their scheduled seasons in order to ensure the teams, coaches, support staff and the wider Stetson community remain as healthy as possible.
 
All of the Stetson student-athletes, coaches and staff who traveled to California last weekend for the game with San Diego were tested and cleared prior to being allowed to travel. Testing on Monday produced the initial positive test. Subsequent positive tests and contact tracing, led to the decision to cancel the game to protect the health and safety of student-athletes.
 
The contact traced athletes have all tested negative but, as a precaution, will remain in isolation for seven days to protect the wider Stetson community.
 
"Stetson Athletics is dedicated to being as fully transparent on the impact of the Covid-19 virus on student-athletes, coaches and staff as possible while, at the same time, protecting the privacy of those impacted and providing the best medical attention possible," Director of Athletics Jeff Altier said.
 
With the cancellation of the final game of the spring, the Hatters will turn their attention toward playing a complete 2021 schedule in the fall. Stetson is scheduled to open the traditional fall season on September 4 against Warner University at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium.
 
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.