FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Although the timing suggests otherwise, the most important factor in the Mountain West’s decision to play football after all this fall was the ability to test players, coaches and staff multiple times each week for the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, commissioner Craig Thompson said Friday.
The conference announced it had reached and agreement with Quest Diagnostics to provide rapid-result antigen tests three times a week to all 12 of its football-playing schools.
“Without that, we wouldn’t even be here today,” Thompson said on a Zoom call with reporters on Friday.
Thompson said the conference would pay for the testing — “well into the millions of dollars” — out of its reserve fund.
