Santa Clara County Allows Stanford Teams to Resume Competition Outside County

Following Governor Gavin Newsom’s lifting of California’s stay-at-home order on Tuesday, Stanford has announced that their athletic teams are allowed to compete outside of Santa Clara County, among other training changes.

Now that California counties are in the ‘purple’ tier of the 4-tier reopening program, the county’s have more control over what COVID-19 safety regulations are put in place. Santa Clara County has updated its Mandatory Directive for Collegiate and Professional Sports to allow college athletics to resume and compete across county lines. This week and next week, Stanford athletic teams have multiple competitions outside of Santa Clara County:

  • Women’s basketball — Washington State (Wednesday/Friday) 
  • Women’s basketball – Washington (Sunday)
  • Stanford men’s basketball — Arizona (Thursday) 
  • Men’s basketball – Arizona State (Saturday) 
  • Men’s basketball – USC (Tuesday)

Their men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs had already returned to campus and had been training according to Santa Clara County’s previous outdoor-only training guidelines. 9 other programs have been doing the same (women’s gymnastics, men’s fencing, women’s fencing, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, synchronized swimming, women’s volleyball, men’s water polo, and wrestling.) 

11 other Stanford athletic programs returned to campus on January 23-24 and are fulfilling their mandatory 10-day quarantine before participating in training activities. This gradual process of returning teams to campus follows Stanford’s phased approach which will continue reintegrating teams through March 1st.

Santa Clara County’s updated Directive also allows “training and competition involving contact, close proximity and equipment sharing, both indoors and outdoors” as long as athletes follow the safety protocol. Under this protocol, student-athletes must get a PCR COVID test 3 times a week, form teammate-only households, practice social distancing, and wear facial coverings consistently unless their training and competition do not allow them to wear masks. 

The Pac-12 Conference has decided to extend its ban on live audiences at competitions as another safety precaution. Santa Clara County’s updated Directive is in agreement and additionally does not allow spectators at practices or any other athletic activity.

In the University’s announcement, Bernard Muir, Stanford’s Jaquish & Kenninger Director of Athletics, shared his gratitude for Santa Clara County and its officials “for the thoughtful decision-making process they have undertaken to protect our community throughout the coronavirus pandemic.”

“We are thrilled that our student-athletes will now be able to train and compete on campus, and we will continue to follow rigorous health and safety standards as our teams embark on their upcoming seasons.”

In the upcoming weeks, Stanford swimming and diving is scheduled to face USC on January 30th and Cal Berkeley in a women’s-only dual on February 13th and a men’s-only dual on February 20th. The Pac-12 Championships are scheduled to begin on February 24th for women’s swimming and diving and March 3rd for the men’s program.

According to the New York Times, Santa Clara County has reported a total of 99,174 cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic last March. In the past 7 days, their daily average has been 687 cases or 36-per-100,000 people. This is a significant decrease from the highest amount of cases reported in Santa Clara County in one day from early January (2,258).

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JolynnSwimmer
3 years ago

Still strict… they need to quarantine after they travel 150 miles or more into SC county. Their basketball, soccer, football and etc stayed outside SC county to be able to travel and compete.

https://www.santaclaraca.gov/i-want-to/stay-informed/newsroom/county-and-state-public-health-orders

JolynnSwimmer
3 years ago

I believe they still have to quarantine for 10 days after they travel 150 miles outside SC county or wherever they are.

Doconc
3 years ago

How magnanimous!!

HoosierDaddy
3 years ago

They should travel to Bloomington, to face the legendary Coach Looze and the IU Hoosiers!

MX4x50relay
Reply to  HoosierDaddy
3 years ago

Wait til Guerra sees this

Splash
Reply to  MX4x50relay
3 years ago

I feel like HoosierDaddy is just Guerra rebranded

Questionable
Reply to  Splash
3 years ago

Definitely. No chance more than one person likes bloomingtons grey concrete prison-like buildings that much.

Guerra
Reply to  Questionable
3 years ago

You are badly mistaken and obviously haven’t been to the wonderful town of Bloomington.

Guerra
Reply to  HoosierDaddy
3 years ago

OMG! HoosierDaddy, I love it! I’ve been tied up all day flying and fighting with the kooky Dick Shoulberg cult on Facebook the last couple of days and didn’t get a lot of SwimSwam action. If those Stanford kids would have chosen to go to Indiana and swim for GOAT Coach Ray Looze, they’d be poised to dominate the world!!!!

HoosierDaddy
Reply to  Guerra
3 years ago

Hope all is well brother Guerra! You speak the truth!

PNW
3 years ago

Chongo approves 🦧🦧🦧

RMS
3 years ago

Has Stanford been able to train this whole time? Hoping the best for their team going forward.

Admin
Reply to  RMS
3 years ago

I think most of Stanford W went home for Christmas, so there was probably a quarantine involved with the return.

But, by-and-large, I think they have been. As much as anybody.

JolynnSwimmer
Reply to  Braden Keith
3 years ago

At that time 14 days after returning to campus I think as has been directed by SC county.

Swim&Polo Dad
Reply to  Braden Keith
3 years ago

Water polo players were at home from November through early January–several from the women’s were conditioning at the local club throughout the holidays. Heard they were back in the water on campus, as well.

SwimmerfromCali
3 years ago

YOOOOOO!!!

Bob
3 years ago

Cal is also a member of Santa Clara County? No, Cal is located in Alameda County, on the other side of the Bay. Did I miss something?

About Annika Johnson

Annika Johnson

Annika came into the sport competitively at age eight, following in the footsteps of her twin sister and older brother. The sibling rivalry was further fueled when all three began focusing on distance freestyle, forcing the family to buy two lap counters. Annika is a three-time Futures finalist in the 200 …

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