Notre Dame has paused all spring football activities because of positive COVID-19 tests in the program, Irish Illustrated reported Saturday.
This isn’t new for Notre Dame. Last August, the Fighting Irish paused practices amid five positive tests. The team canceled its game against Navy, scheduled to be played in Ireland, and postponed a game against Wake Forest following 18 positive tests.
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Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick acknowledged in an interview earlier this week with Irish Illustrated that things haven’t returned to normal amid a winter season that is winding down and a spring season that is gearing up.
“I am optimistic as I look forward to the fall, which has a chance to feel more normal,” he said. “But in terms of the operation right now, you see how hard it is to get basketball games played. I think we’ll see versions of that with our lacrosse schedule and our baseball and softball schedules.
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“Frankly, the spring is more challenging than the fall because every sport is going. It’s the antithesis of normal.”
Notre Dame football finished the 2020 season with a 10-2 record, losing to eventual national champion Alabama in a College Football Playoff semifinal, 31-14.
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–Field Level Media