Three other team members were suspended. The names of the players dismissed or suspended have not been released.
The three players that were dismissed each had prior team violations, the athletics department said, and were primarily responsible for organizing a party on Saturday. The party led to the temporary shutdown of voluntary activities and preseason practice for four Cardinal sports, according to the school.
The University said Wednesday that 29 members of four sports teams had tested positive for Covid-19 and multiple other student-athletes were potentially exposed and in quarantine.
“I’m extremely disappointed in these young men and particularly with the three that have been dismissed,” Louisville men’s soccer head coach John Michael Hayden said. “They have demonstrated with their actions now and previously that they do not echo the culture of this program. Our student-athletes are held to a high standard of conduct as representatives of our program and university.”
Louisville Vice President and Director of Athletics Vince Tyra shared Hayden’s sentiment.
“I fully support John Michael’s decision,” Tyra said. “Their history of actions are not in alignment with the values of this university and athletics department.”
He added that the student-athletes ignored the safety protocols, issued by federal, state and local officials, as well as the athletic department.
The school did not say what the prior team violations were for the three players that were dismissed.
The four University of Louisville sports put on temporary pause are men’s and women’s soccer, field hockey and volleyball.