Pac-12 apologizes after false positive result sidelines 3 Stanford players

The Pac-12 apologized to Stanford on Friday for testing protocol errors that led to three players, including quarterback Davis Mills, being sidelined for the team's season opener.

"During Pac-12 game-day testing this past Saturday, there were testing protocol errors with respect to a Stanford student-athlete who tested positive for COVID-19. The student-athlete and others who were immediately identified as individuals who would be high-risk contacts if the student-athlete were positive did not play in the game," the conference said in a statement.

"Upon return to campus, Stanford, in communication with the Pac-12 COVID-19 Medical Advisory Committee, administered a daily PCR diagnostic testing cadence that has consistently shown that the student-athlete does not have COVID-19 and is thus cleared to resume practice and competition."

Mills, wide receiver Connor Wedington, and defensive end Trey LaBounty were all forced to sit out the contest due to what Stanford called "COVID-19 testing results and contact tracing protocols."

Redshirt quarterback Mills was in line for his first opening-day start after beginning the 2019 campaign on the bench behind K.J. Costello.

The Pac-12 doesn't have protocols for voiding false positives, according to Pac-12 Hotline's Jon Wilner. Instead, schools work with local health officials to set procedures.