The NCAA will allow voluntary athletics activities to resume in all Division I sports starting June 1, it announced Friday. Earlier this week, the association voted to allow voluntary activities in football as well as men’s and women’s basketball.
Additionally, the waiver issued last month to allow eight hours of required, virtual, nonphysical activity will be extended through June 30.
Voluntary athletics activities allowed in all Division I sports starting June 1: https://t.co/mFHQOder3w pic.twitter.com/aWpOKFJgdO
— Inside the NCAA (@InsidetheNCAA) May 22, 2020
Voluntary workouts entail that teams have no on-field coaches, but strength staff members could supervise — there is an exception for swim coaches, however, for safety precautions.
The ruling doesn’t mean that student-athletes can suddenly head back to campus, however. They’ll still have to act in accordance with federal, state and local government rules, as well as each university’s policies.
According to a report by Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel’s from Wednesday, the NCAA will not make rules regarding the frequency of COVID-19 testing, instead leaving that up to institutions and governments.
“No one wants to get into that,” Thamel’s NCAA source said. “They want to leave it to your own campus and state.”
At the macro level, the decision indicates that college sports could theoretically be in play this fall. While some schools around the country have already canceled or altered their fall semesters, others are holding out hope students will be able to return to campus and that athletics (particularly, football) will happen in some form.
Hope that means the entire student bodies will regain access to the rec centers and pools. If it’s determined it’s not safe for the students not on scholarship, those on scholarship/varsity athletes shouldn’t be allowed either. Being an official athlete doesn’t make your immune system magically stronger than someone who uses the rec everyday, and to make it about the money means the NCAA has placed a money amount next to a kid’s health.
Certainly want everyone to be able to train, but the all or nothing approach is the fairest and safest way. Same for pro sports, if folks can’t be in the stands it shouldn’t be happening
Just playing devil’s advocate here. Athletes are primarily governed, supervised, or otherwise monitored for behaviors, ie meeting proper guidelines. GenPop college students predominantly are not. You are making a blanket statement that does not coincide with the current circumstances.
Yep. When I swam just in the last few years, we had trainers with us at every practice to make sure we were healthy and help with any injuries/illness we had. This is drastically different than normal students who do not have access to trainers/people monitoring them every day.
The NCAA only governs collegiate sports, not who is allowed in rec centers.
In regard to your last statement, you don’t see a difference between 110 players on a football field and 75,000 people in stands?
Starting with smaller groups of people seems smart… nothing to do with the quality of the athlete immune system. Have to start somewhere…
I think the SEC also announced something today saying sports could have voluntary workouts starting June 8th
Just to be clear, the sec only is allowing voluntary Workouts with strength coaches swim coaches not allowed and the pools at least at one institution is still closed