Even If College Football Players Return June 1, Little Will Be Normal During Pandemic

The Coronavirus Crisis and Sports looks at what college football players can expect when they return, and the best of Sports Illustrated

The college football world is preparing to join the fray of major sports trying to restart, with a pair of important decisions expected to be made this week. 

On Wednesday, the NCAA Division I council, a 40-member decision-making body made up of key college athletics figures, is expected to lift a nation-wide moratorium on on-campus summer activities. 

The Southeastern Conference will subsequently meet on Friday to go over how athletes can return to campuses beginning June 1.

Alabama is in the process for formulating its plans, but like with everything else the situation remains fluid until more is known.  

Moreover, just because student-athletes, beginning with football, are allowed back into the facilities doesn't mean that it'll be business as normal. 

The precautions will be lot more than everyone wearing masks and gloves, hand-sanitizing stations, avoiding contact and setting up the weight room with social distancing in mind.

Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated took an early look at what some programs are planning to do, especially in the Southeast where the coronavirus  had high numbers including along the I-10 corridor. 

They include fogging machines, moving weight rooms outside, temperature tests at the front door. 

On Friday, NCAA chief medical officer Brian Hainline said during a live Twitter interview that it would only take a few positive tests for an entire team to be shut down for at least two weeks.  

Hainline said to avoid that schools will have to be in a position to test athletes every one to five days and the medical/scientific staffs will have to establish five-day quarantine periods if necessary.

Some of the recommendations being discussed go so far as to not have athletes share the same footballs for at least four weeks 

𝐍𝐂𝐀𝐀 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 | 𝐄𝐩 𝟖
𝘈 𝘍𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭
@CollegeGameDay's @KirkHerbstreit, @WVUSports AD Shane Lyons, Dr. Hainline & @TheAndyKatz dive into what needs to happen for football to return this fall. https://t.co/K6KizfwJrV

— NCAA (@NCAA) May 15, 2020

Did you notice?

• If National League teams are forced to hastily adopt the designated hitter this year, here are the best DH options for each team.

• Ranking the best ballparks in baseball.

• The pandemic could make Notre Dame’s football independence more difficult.

• Jack McCallum reviews the final two episodes of 'The Last Dance.'

• The cover story by Chris Mannix is on how Jerry Krause Deserved Better in 'The Last Dance'

 The lighter side 

• MLB’s plans intended to limit the risk of coronavirus spread include banning spitting and sunflower seeds.

• A pair of shoes Michael Jordan wore as a rookie sold at auction for $560,000.

• A new hotel in Chapel Hill will include a re-creation of Michael Jordan’s dorm room. 

• A gamer won a $65,000 Madden tournament without throwing a single pass.

For more SI Hot Clicks

This story will be updated