Skip to main content

Chris Holtmann: "One Positive CoVID Test Would Cancel Illinois State Game"

Chris Holtmann told media members on Monday just how in-flux the non-conference slate will be this season.

The Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team opens the season on Wednesday against Illinois State ... hopefully.

Frankly, that's how fragile the situation is across the college basketball landscape these days. At the moment, there's no reason to think the game won't tip off as scheduled. But OSU head coach Chris Holtmann told the media Monday afternoon that as few as a single positive test could mean the game won't be played.

“Both teams need to have clean tests the next couple days,” he said. “Our training staff is in contact with their training staff and making sure that their tests are negative.”

Non-conference are particularly sticky because different conference have different testing regulations. Ohio State only has a handful of non-league games this season and they told each opponent what the Big Ten protocols were for the season.

“When we scheduled the game those were some of the conversations we had on the front end. That in order for us to play this game, this is what is going to have to happen,” Holtmann said. “This is the Big Ten standard. So we have had those conversations with every non-conference opponent.”

When it comes to conference games themselves, Holtmann doesn't expect to be walking quite the same tight rope, as one positive test may not be enough to call off a league game.

“As far as I understand right now, because teams are under different testing protocols, that is really a non-conference decision. So conference games will be different,” Holtmann said. “Because we're in regular testing as a program ourselves, I don't believe that that would necessarily mean our game would be off if we have one positive test on our side. I think it all involves contact tracing, as you're all well aware of, and limiting the spread and the concern about that, which I totally understand and respect.”

-----

You may also like:

Chris Holtmann Press Conference Highlights: Who Will Start the Year at Center?

Ohio State Men's Basketball Schedule Released