Wisconsin Badgers Football Team At 22 Confirmed Virus Cases

MADISON, WI — The University of Wisconsin athletic director on Saturday confirmed six additional cases of coronavirus within the Badgers football program, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 22.

Barry Alvarez confirmed the increase on ESPN College GameDay. Alvarez also said school officials would decide by Tuesday whether to move forward with the Badgers’ scheduled Sept. 7 home game with Purdue.

“We’re still having additions in our cases, and that’s something we’ve got to get our arms around and control it,” Alvarez said.

The Badgers were scheduled to play at Nebraska on Saturday, according to The Associated Press, but Wisconsin officials announced Wednesday they were calling off the game and pausing team activities for a week due to the outbreak within the program.

Wisconsin announced Wednesday that six players and six staffers — including head coach Paul Chryst — had tested positive since Oct. 24, the day after its season-opening 45-7 victory over Illinois, the Associated Press reported.

On Thursday, two more staffers and one additional player tested positive, bringing the total of active cases in the program to 16.

It's too early to tell whether the outbreak will affect the team's chances to play for the Big Ten title; however, according to the conference, the team must play at least six games to be considered for participation in the championship game.