SAN MARCOS, Texas – The NCAA approved a six-week practice on Wednesday for the football season set to begin in July. With that announcement comes news of high levels of COVID-19 cases in Hays County, also affecting local football players.

According to Texas State University’s campus newspaper, Texas State Athletics announced Wednesday five football players tested positive for COVID-19. The players are believed to have contracted the virus outside of football activities.

The group will be in self-isolation for 14 days with their care managed by university health professionals, athletic trainers and the team physician.

In regulation with NCAA orders, only football players were allowed to return to campus for workouts in groups of 10 or less.

“We are pleased with our results since [the players’] arrival on June 1 and believe we have been able to mitigate the circumstances in order to keep our student-athletes safe while working out in our facilities,” Athletic Director Larry Teis said in the newspaper article. “We continue to take the precautions of wearing masks during indoor activities and disinfecting the facilities, which include the weight rooms and training rooms. We are following proper guidelines of our health professionals and have not had any positive tests from contact tracing inside our facilities thus far. We are pleased that it appears our protocols have been successful to date.”

Men’s and women’s basketball will be able to participate in workouts beginning June 15, with limited individual workouts with shared equipment to start on June 28.

On July 6, athletes from all other sports will be allowed to return for voluntary workouts.

The NCAA Division I Council also approved Wednesday a plan to allow college basketball players to start working with their coaches for the first time since the pandemic wiped out March Madness. The summer access period for men’s and women’s players will begin July 20.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.