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Should Teams Share Positive COVID Results Publicly

Some teams are keeping numbers quiet while others are more open with what's going on.
Should Teams Share Positive COVID Results Publicly
Should Teams Share Positive COVID Results Publicly

While college football programs continue to deal with the impacts of the COVID -19 pandemic, a new discussion has arisen from the start of the football season. Should teams share information on the numbers of positive test results with the public? 

On Wednesday, Sports Illustrated shared a look at some of the details and comments from college coaches and administrators who shared opinions on the topic. 

There's no doubt that there is a shroud of secrecy that surrounds the innermost working of most bigtime college football programs that the wizards behind their curtains don't want being shared with the public. 

Privacy laws also limit what information and how much detail can be shared with the public, meaning that administrators and others have an all-encompassing boogie man to hide behind when limiting the information made available. 

Those laws, and in particular, HIPPA laws, are intended to limit the amount of personal information on an individual that can be shared by medical practitioners and others.

No one wants that information shared, and it shouldn't be available to anyone outside the personal physicians or medical staff that care for these athletes. 

However, for a university to share that they have had X number of positive test results among their football team is not an invasion of personal privacy. 

Some might ask the question, why should that information be shared? That answer is easy. Most of the schools playing college football are public universities that get money from the state governments and some federal subsidies. If we, the taxpayers, are supporting these programs with tax dollars, then shouldn't the public be allowed to know what the numbers are for the schools in your state.

It's an interesting topic for sure, and regardless of which side you stand on, you can find an interesting point or counterpoint as to where you stand. 

The debate will likely continue throughout the remainder of this season, and it will likely grow as more positive cases are reported from across the nation. 

Where do you stand? Let us know by commenting below.  

Follow Greg on Twitter @GregAriasSports and @SIVanderbilt or Facebook at Vanderbilt Commodores-Maven.

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Greg Arias
GREG ARIAS

A 29 year veteran of radio in the Middle Tennessee area and 16 years in digital and internet media having covered the Tennessee Titans for Scout Media and TitanInsider.com before joining the Sports Illustrated family of networks.