A Rutgers University football player has announced his intention to transfer over the school's COVID-19 mandate for students.
Peyton Powell, a defensive back who has attended New Jersey's state university since 2019, revealed his decision on Twitter.
'The University of Rutgers has made the COVID vaccine mandatory to attend school and play football, therefore I have no other choice but to enter my name into the transfer portal,' Powell wrote.
Powell then followed with a correction: 'Rutgers University*.'
Rutgers University football player Peyton Powell has announced his intention to transfer over the school's COVID-19 mandate for the upcoming fall semester. Powell, who played quarterback as a high schooler in Texas , announced his decision on twitter
Peyton Powell, a defensive back who transferred to New Jersey 's state university in 2019, revealed his decision on Twitter. He then followed with a correction: 'Rutgers University*'
Rutgers coach Greg Schiano revealed at the start of training camp that Powell was no longer with the team, but said the Texas native had the option of returning, according to NorthJersey.com.
The Big Ten school announced its vaccine mandate in March.
Powell previously attended Baylor after playing at Permian High School in Texas, which was made famous by H.G. Bissinger's 1990 book, 'Friday Night Lights,' and a subsequent movie staring Billy Bob Thornton.
Powell had not played in an official game since transferring to Rutgers from Baylor in 2019.
Rutgers coach Greg Schiano (masked, in black, center left) previously revealed at the start of training camp that Powell was no longer with the team, but said the Texas native had the option of returning, according to NorthJersey.com
Phil Murphy, governor of New Jersey, greets Maritza Beniquez, a nurse at Rutgers University Hospital and the first person in New Jersey to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, right, during a news conference outside University Hospital's COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, New Jersey, U.S., on December 15, 2020. Rutgers announced its vaccine mandate in March
Also on Tuesday, the University of Georgia announced it would not install any mask or vaccine mandate for fans, while another SEC school, Louisiana State, said it would be requiring both.
'With the significant threat presented by COVID-19 across the state of Louisiana due to the highly transmissible Delta variant, LSU will require all Tiger Stadium guests 12 years of age and older to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to entry,' LSU announced Tuesday in a release.
'The decision comes after consultation with - and support from - Governor John Bel Edwards, LSU President William F. Tate IV, LSU's Board of Supervisors, Tiger Athletic Foundation, and Director of Athletics Scott Woodward.'
Masks are required for children ages 6 to 11 and 'recommended' for all children, LSU announced.
The SEC has no formal policy, but commissioner Greg Sankey could recommend the policy throughout the league, according to reports.
In spite of that, the Georgia Bulldogs currently have no plan to require masks or proof of vaccination at 92,746-seat Sanford Stadium this fall, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Fans planning to attend Louisiana State football games at Tiger Stadium are required to test negative for COVID-19 or show proof of vaccination status
