How can Gamecocks avoid COVID-19? Approach life like a bubble, Muschamp says
As college students across the country return to campuses and COVID-19 outbreaks are reported in athletic departments and general populations alike, South Carolina football appears to have avoided the worst of the global coronavirus pandemic thus far.
The Gamecock athletic department isn’t releasing testing data, citing student privacy laws, but head coach Will Muschamp said Wednesday that the football program’s latest round of testing yielded one positive result out of roughly 300 tests — a figure that includes players, coaches and support staff.
The university reported 189 total active cases on campus as of Wednesday — 188 of them being students — with an 8.8% positive rate in the latest round of testing.
Muschamp credited the football team’s positive test rate, under 1%, to his players living “boring lives” even as their classmates return to Columbia. It’s a mantra he’s repeated over and over, and on Wednesday one player even went so far to describe his living environment right now as a “bubble.”
“Trying to stay off my feet and relax my legs as much as I can. Then get ready for practice and stuff like that. But really I just play the game, stay out of trouble, don’t really do anything,” sophomore defensive tackle Zacch Pickens said of his life at the moment. Pickens added that his concerns about the virus were “high” before he spoke to director of football operations George Wynn, who reassured him about the team’s testing and safety protocols.
“Bubbles,” where teams are isolated for months at a time with extensive testing and minimal to no contact with the outside world, have been used to restart the NBA, NHL and WNBA seasons with successful results. Major League Baseball has struggled with outbreaks after opting not to use the method. Plans for college football in 2020 have not involved a true bubble, with many questioning the ethics and optics of such an arrangement with amateur athletes.
Muschamp acknowledged Wednesday that he couldn’t actually place his team in a locked-down environment — but if players choose to limit themselves to school, practice and their dorm rooms, they’re creating a de facto bubble.
“George (Wynn), he and (athletic trainer) Clint Haggard have both been really good with the protocols that we have in place,” Muschamp said. “And it’s amazing the people around the country that are calling them to find out what we’re doing — you got to credit George and Clint.
“But you know, that’s something that we’ve kind of referred to our guys about; We can’t necessarily put you in a bubble, but you need to approach your life that way, you need to be at 650 Lincoln (student-athlete housing), only around people you know, not around any strangers, no exposure to the unknown. You need to be in our building. We’re feeding you all the food as far as those things are concerned, and as we continue to say, lead a very boring life.
“And that is what we refer to as the bubble. And if you’re not putting yourself with exposure to the unknown, we feel like we can be pretty successful battling this virus.”
One of the main concerns regarding bubbles has been the isolation and potential mental health issues for athletes inside — NBA star Paul George recently admitted that he’s struggled with anxiety and depression while in the league’s bubble in Orlando, Florida. But for the Gamecocks, redshirt senior defensive lineman Jabari Ellis said he’s more than just fine with the setup.
“To be honest, I’m really enjoying it — relaxing a lot more, recovering a lot more. ... The biggest part is, you know, making sure the younger guys are living the boring life, because they’re just getting to college or whatever the case may be. But as far as older guys, I don’t think it will be hard for them to lead a boring life,” Ellis said.
That concern for younger players not breaking the bubble by making risky choices was echoed by Muschamp, who said he’s been pleased with how the team’s older players have taken the message of responsibility and driven it home.
“Guys got to make great decisions right now, and they need to understand that the impact of their decision could be very detrimental to a senior, to someone that’s been in our program for a long time,” Muschamp said. “And all of a sudden, one poor decision leads to someone being quarantined for two weeks, which is a long time in football. So, again, those are things that we continue to talk to our guys about, but I think our leadership group’s done a really good job of continuing that message in the locker room.”
