Minium: ODU Athletes Doing Everything Right, but Games are Still Being Postponed by COVID

By Harry Minium

NORFOLK, Va. – All but 10 of the nearly 600 athletes, coaches and athletic staff members at Old Dominion are vaccinated against COVID, a figure that dwarfs the national average.

The Monarchs have also taken the usual precautions recommended by health officials. Athletes and coaches wear masks indoors and whenever possible, practice social distancing.

"We've done everything we're supposed to do," Athletic Director Wood Selig said. "We've done all the right things."

Yet so many athletes tested positive that ODU didn't play men's or women's basketball this past weekend. It's the first time in more than 50 years that neither team played on the second week in January.

The rowing and men's and women's swim teams had to cancel annual training trips to Florida because of positive tests.

"It's really frustrating," Dr. Selig added. "The kids have done everything we've asked them to do. We've followed all the rules." 

ODU is among hundreds of college and university athletic programs around the country that have been impacted because the Omicron variant of COVID doesn't follow the old rules.

Although less lethal than previous strains of the virus, Omicron is also far more easily transmissible than the Delta variant or the original COVID virus.

That has led to hundreds of Division I basketball games being postponed and has fans and coaches worrying what the effect will be the rest of the season.

The virus hasn't yet hit every school. While the Louisiana Tech men's team is 4-0 in Conference USA games, Charlotte has yet to play a game.

Postponements have hit C-USA women's basketball even harder. Until last weekend, six of the 14 teams had yet to play a league game. Four played over the weekend, while ODU and Charlotte have yet to play.



Selig said that so far it appears every ODU game currently postponed can be rescheduled. But if there are further postponements, some games might be in jeopardy.

The ODU men have had two games postponed – a New Year's Day game at FAU called off by the Owls and last Saturday's game at Charlotte shelved because of issues at ODU.

The women's basketball team has had three games postponed – at home against FAU and at FIU and what would have been a big game this past weekend at home against Charlotte. ODU (10-2) has won eight in a row and was picked to finish second in Conference USA behind the 49ers.

ODU's last game was a 71-68 victory at Temple on Dec. 22.

ODU defeated two Power 5 schools – Auburn and Texas Tech – during the eight-game winning streak.

"We had so much momentum," coach DeLisha Milton-Jones said. "I felt like we picked up right where we left off last season and were really clicking.

"We're doing all we can to try to keep the momentum going."

The Monarchs won their last four games last season before being ousted in the semifinals of the Conference USA Tournament by Rice.

Most of the ODU men's basketball players who have tested positive are asymptomatic, said coach Jeff Jones.

Assistant coach Bryant Stith had to isolate after testing positive and was asymptomatic. Stith is not only fully vaccinated, he previously was infected with COVID.

Previous infections are supposed to help prevent future infections, and that shows just how easily Omicron spreads.

Kieran Donahue, special assistant to the head coach, also got COVID, but had only minimal symptoms.

The Monarchs had only one five-on-five practice last week before a round of tests sent more players into isolation. And that practice was possible only because former player Drew Lakey, now ODU's video coordinator, dressed out as the 10th man.



"We're keeping our schedule," Jones said. "We're trying to make sure we're staying sharp.

"We're doing conditioning, getting up and down the court, shooting a lot, doing the offense, doing what you can. But there's really no replacement for five on five, particularly when you're preparing to play an opponent."

While members of the general public can return to work immediately after isolating, the same isn't true for athletes. Because there were concerns that previous strains of COVID might cause heart problems, athletes must go through a battery of tests with a cardiologist before returning.

Dr. Selig said he thinks the current outbreak in college basketball was fueled by players heading home for the Christmas break.

"They were in airports and in planes and with family and friends over the holidays," he said.

He's hopeful that health officials are correct when they predict that the Omicron variant will burn out by the end of the month and that those who are infected now will be unlikely to catch the strain in the future.

"We certainly hope that's the case and that for the next 90 days or so, our players are bulletproof," he said.

The men and women are scheduled to resume play Thursday against UTSA – the men are to host UTSA while the women will play in Texas.

Milton-Jones said she's not sure all of her players will be available and that UTSA has had its previous two games postponed.

"I'm concerned about playing this week, but am also concerned about what happens after that," she said. "If the pandemic continues like this, can we salvage the season?"

Jones said he's also concerned about the long-term future.

"I don't know how to predict that," he said. "So, we're focusing on what we can control.

"The bottom line is that you deal with it, stay flexible and make sure you're ready whenever you can play."

Minium worked 39 years at The Virginian-Pilot before coming to ODU in 2018. He covers all ODU athletic teams for odusports.com Follow him on Twitter @Harry_MiniumODU, Instagram @hbminium1 or email hminium@odu.edu