NCAA moves closer to opening up athletics
by Andy Hilton, recruit757
Earlier this week, the NCAA announced that member institutions “can participate in on-campus voluntary athletics activities” beginning June 1.
This currently applies to football and basketball only at this point. The NCAA also announced that a decision on other sports would be forthcoming.
The June 1 date does not apply in a mandatory fashion to all athletes or all member institutions.
“We encourage each school to use its discretion to make the best decisions possible for football and basketball student-athletes within the appropriate resocialization framework,” said Council chair M. Grace Calhoun, athletics director at Pennsylvania. “Allowing for voluntary athletics activity acknowledges that reopening our campuses will be an individual decision but should be based on advice from medical experts.”
Also, voluntary on-campus athletics activity must be initiated by the student-athlete. Coaches may not be present unless a sport-specific safety exception allows it, and activity cannot be directed by a coach or reported back to a coach.
So as you can tell, this doesn’t mean the beginning of formal practices, one-day camps or any other specifically organized activity. It’s a start.
– Andy Hilton
