According to University Officials, the University of Florida football team is pausing all football-related activities following an increase in COVID-19 cases, the school said Tuesday.

Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said in a statement that the Gators would halt all football activity and look for more clarity on Wednesday. 

“The University of Florida football team has experienced an increase in positive COVID tests among players this week. Out of an abundance of caution, team activities are paused as of Tuesday afternoon,” Stricklin said.

This comes after coaches and university officials bragged about having 90,000 fans at the LSU vs Florida game, which was scheduled for this Saturday. 

“Head coach Dan Mullen has been in communication with football players and their parents, and I have had conversations with the Southeastern Conference office, last week’s opponent Texas A&M, and this week’s opponent LSU. These circumstances will be re-evaluated by UF Health and the athletic department’s sports medicine staff Wednesday.”

19 players have tested positive for COVID-19 and there are sure to be more positive tests moving forward. As of now, it’s unclear if any athletic trainers or staff have contracted the virus. 

Coach Dan Mullen seems unaware of what these positive test results mean for the program. Saying, “I think we’re a model of safety of what we’ve been doing during this time period.” Adding, “So I’m really proud of how we’ve handled everything and how safe we’ve been with everything we’re doing and all the precautions we’ve had in place during this time.”

Florida is not the only NCAA team halting activities. And it’s almost certain the number of teams will increase. We will keep our eyes and ears on this as more details come out.