Message from Linfield Athletic Director Garry Killgore
These are anxious times for us all, and I know it can feel like we’re hanging on by a thread. With that in mind, I wanted to reach out to the broader campus community about questions I received in the wake of our soccer games last weekend. My hope is that I can provide some information and ease some concerns.
Let me state first that, according to the chief medical officer at the NCAA, there have been zero documented cases of COVID-19 transmission during a practice or competition. Where transmission has happened among athletes, it’s caused by the same things that are concerns among non-athletes: Traveling together without masks; eating together without masks; not following established protocols.
That said, our student-athletes are undergoing rigorous testing and being asked to follow very strict protocols this spring. They are following all Northwest Conference, Oregon Health Authority, Yamhill County Health Department and Linfield recommendations and guidelines.
We use surveillance testing for all Linfield sports. We are required to test 25-50% of all athletes, coaches and athletic staff every 1-2 weeks. Our student-athletes raised money last fall to help offset any additional costs for testing, so they could continue to participate while meeting the requirements.
We are only scheduling non-conference competition between institutions that verify they are comparable to us when it comes to testing, masking and practicing physical distancing. The NCAA considers most of our sports either low-risk or moderate-risk, but the Northwest Conference and Linfield continue to follow protocols and administer tests at higher levels than the national body would mandate.
Football and basketball are classified as high-risk. The level of recommended testing is much more rigorous for these sports. Student-athletes in those activities must be tested at least three times per week using antigen testing or once a week via PCR testing.
We have a long list of expectations and rules for coaches, staff members and student-athletes, and virtually all are following them diligently. No system is perfect, but I believe everyone in our athletic department is working very hard to create a safe environment.
Please let me know if you have concerns, or additional questions for me. I’m happy to discuss the details with others in our community and be as transparent as I can be.
We’re all in this together, after all.
Thank you.
Garry L. Killgore, Ph.D.
Athletic Director
NCAA Resocialization Plan |
Northwest Conference Return to Play Protocol |
HHPA Recreational Usage Policies
