COVID-19 cost Boise State a bowl game last year. What protocols are there this season?

A sense of normalcy has returned to the Boise State football team this fall.

For the first time since the sports world ground to a halt in the spring of 2020 because of COVID-19, Boise State hasn’t had to alter its plans because of the virus. In fact, the Broncos aren’t dealing with many COVID-19 protocols at all these days.

Players or coaches will be tested if they become symptomatic, a spokesperson for Boise State confirmed to the Idaho Statesman. If they test positive, they’ll be isolated and the university with follow guidelines set by Central District Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Players or coaches who were potentially exposed to the virus will be asked to wear a mask for five days and will be tested if they become symptomatic.

That’s in stark contrast to the measures that used to be in place, and the regular testing that players and coaches underwent the past two years. In 2020, they were tested as often as three times a week and had to produce a negative result 48 hours before a game to be eligible to play.

The Mountain West is not requiring players or coaches to be tested this fall, the conference said.

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The Mountain West initially postponed the 2020 season because of the virus, but the conference decided to hold an abbreviated season, which began in late October.

The decision to play came down in late September that year, which gave Boise State its usual allotment of fall practices, but regulations put in place by the school and local health officials made it almost impossible to practice as a team.

Limitations on gathering sizes forced the team to practice in small groups and limit how many players were allowed to be in the facilities at a time. Players were required to wear masks indoors and even during practice at times.

Things didn’t get any easier during the 2020 season, which was initially shortened to eight regular season games. Boise State then had two games canceled during the year — a home tilt against San Jose State and a road game at UNLV. The Broncos wound up playing seven games, including a loss to San Jose State in the Mountain West championship.

The Mountain West required that teams have 53 total players available and a certain number at specific positions to be eligible for games, and Boise State struggled to fill those limits at times. The Broncos didn’t have enough defensive linemen available for a home game against Colorado State, so offensive lineman Ben Dooley switched sides for the day.

Things were looking up in 2021. The conference eliminated roster minimums and made a push for players and coaches to get vaccinated. Unvaccinated players were still tested during the season, but the number of them missing games because of the virus decreased dramatically.

Boise State had a surge in positive cases as fall camp opened last year, which forced the university to close practice and create a bubble around the team in an effort to limit exposure. It worked for much of the season, but cases of COVID-19 popped up again late in the year, forcing the Broncos to pull out of the Arizona Bowl, which was eventually canceled.

COVID-19 isn’t going away, but cases in Ada County have decreased enough that the CDC moved the Treasure Valley out of its highest risk level last week.

Boise State’s 2022 schedule

Sept. 3: at Oregon State, 8:30 p.m. MT, ESPN

Sept. 9: at New Mexico, 7 p.m., CBSSN

Sept. 17: vs. UT Martin, 2 p.m., FS1

Sept. 23: at UTEP, 7 p.m., CBSSN

Sept. 30: vs San Diego State, 6 p.m., FS1

Oct. 8: vs. Fresno State, TBA, Fox/FS1/FS2

Oct. 22: at Air Force, 5 p.m., CBSSN

Oct. 29: vs. Colorado State, TBA, Fox/FS1/FS2

Nov. 5: vs. BYU, TBA, Fox/FS1/FS2

Nov. 12: at Nevada, 8:30 p.m., CBSSN

Nov. 19: at Wyoming, 5 p.m., CBSSN

Nov. 25: vs Utah State, 10 a.m., CBS