Blane Morgan’s press conference on Monday served as a stark reminder that the coronavirus pandemic is not in the past when it comes to college football.
Lamar’s football media day with Morgan and multiple players was supposed to be held live at the Dauphin Athletic Complex, but was instead done virtually as the school stayed cautious with the new delta variant on the rise.
Last Thursday, the NCAA released updated guidelines for fall sports. According to those regulations, vaccinated players will not be subjected to regular testing unless they show symptoms. Meanwhile, unvaccinated players could be tested up to three times per week and are still expected to wear masks.
The NCAA has also not ruled out potential forfeits for teams with too many positive cases during game week.
Morgan acknowledged that the new rules make it advantageous for players to be vaccinated, and will continue to educate his team on the NCAA’s guidelines. He estimated that more than 20 additional Lamar players will be vaccinated in the coming weeks before the season starts.
“Our initial numbers are certainly going to change and I think they’re on the rise,” Morgan said when asked of Lamar’s vaccination numbers. “The NCAA gave us new rules on vaccinated and unvaccinated, so we’re trying to navigate those rules right now and understand them.
Lamar played six games in the spring without any cancellations caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The Cardinals did have to delay their season opener against Northwestern State due to severe winter weather in the Beaumont area.
Matt Faye is a Sports Reporter and Columnist for the Beaumont Enterprise. Contact him at MFaye@BeaumontEnterprise.com or on Twitter by clicking here.
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