San Jose Spartans' travel plans for Arizona Bowl may violate county's COVID mandate

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KTVU) - Some of the glow from San Jose State’s conference championship win Saturday faded with the winter solstice.

"This has been an amazing journey with our team. And so many people have reached out, sent messages," said Spartan head coach Brent Brennan on Friday.

The most recent message sent to the Spartans —quarantine or face the consequences. As the team prepare for the Nevada Bowl on Dec. 31 in Tucson, the Santa Clara County Health Department said it has launched an investigation of the team for violating the county’s quarantine mandate.

"We expect everyone in the community to fully abide by the quarantine requirements upon return," the health department said in an emailed statement to KTVU. "Anyone who arrives in the County from farther than 150-miles away must comply with 10-day quarantine requirements upon return."

"A quarantine of 10-days is the new CDC guideline," said Dr. Karl Minges, chairman of the Department of Health Administration at the University of New Haven.

He said the problem is the Spartan’s multiple trips, from Nevada back to San Jose last Sunday, then another trip from San Jose to Arizona next week, all while seeing family for Christmas this week.

"The risk is that either they bring it with them [the virus], infect those that they’re quarantining with, or perhaps pick up the virus from those they’re quarantining with because they haven’t quarantined quite long enough. And then they bring it with them," said Minges.

San Jose State University said in response to the county's threat to prevent the team from flying out next week: "SJSU scheduled travel in and out of San Jose to allow student-athletes and staff who live out of the county to leave immediately after arriving in the county. This follows the county guidelines that allow individuals to pass through the county and not have to quarantine."

Unfortunately for the Spartans, the county executive said all members of the traveling party do have to quarantine. That decision puts the team’s first bowl appearance in five years in jeopardy