Pac-12 Announces Voluntary In-Person Workouts Can Begin June 15
The Pac-12 announced Tuesday that it will allow voluntary in-person athletic workouts beginning June 15.
However, it is still up to the conference schools to determine when and how to begin those workouts. In Cal's case, the governing bodies of the state and local governments will have a say on when and how the Golden Bears can begin those in-person workouts for all sports, including football.
Cal athletics issued a statement that did not specify when it would allow voluntary workouts but noted the procedure the university will follow:
With the Pac-12 announcement Tuesday that voluntary workouts may begin on conference campuses beginning June 15, Cal Athletics will work with university leadership and medical experts to determine steps for allowing student-athletes to return. Our highest priority is to ensure the health and well-being of student-athletes, coaches and staff. All decisions will conform to accepted federal, state and local guidelines, including procedures for education, testing, physical distancing, cleaning and disinfecting.
Nonetheless, lifting the conference's restrictions on in-person workouts is a significant step and follows the lead of the Southeastern Conference and the Big 12.
The Pac-12 has recommended certain protocols.
Here is the entire Pac-12 release:
SAN FRANCISCO – The Pac-12 announced today that it will allow for voluntary in-person athletic workouts for all sports to commence on June 15, subject to the decision of each individual campus and where permissible by relevant governmental entities. The decision to update the Conference pandemic policy was made at a meeting of the Pac-12 CEO Group earlier today and follows the decision last week by the NCAA to permit conferences and schools to reopen for on-campus voluntary athletically related activities in all sports from June 1. The Pac-12 decision was informed by a comprehensive set of best practice guidelines and protocols established by the Pac-12 COVID-19 Medical Advisory Committee. The Medical Advisory Committee includes a cross-section of the world’s leading infectious disease experts, physicians, researchers and trainers connected to Pac-12 universities.
“As educational institutions, our highest obligation is to the health and welfare of our students, faculty, and staff,” said Pac-12 CEO Group Chair and University of Colorado Boulder Chancellor Philip DiStefano. “As we considered the pros and cons of taking steps that can pave a path to returning to play, those considerations were foremost, guided by the advice of our own medical experts along with public health officials.”
“The Pac-12 is committed to the well-being of our student-athletes, and the decision to allow for voluntary workouts, subject to a determination by each school, is guided by the advice of our medical experts and will be supported by the detailed protocols established by our medical advisory committee in concert with our campus’ own safety guidelines,” said Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott. “As states have either already opened or begin to open up access to parks, gyms and other training facilities, student-athletes should have the option at this time to be in, what for many, will be a much safer environment on campus, where they can have access to the best available health, well-being and training support.”
The Pac-12 COVID-19 Medical Advisory Committee guidelines and protocols, which are being continuously updated based on the best available medical data, cover the following areas in detail: (i) return to campus, (ii) return to athletic facility, (iii) facility specific considerations, (iv) return to exercise and (v) response to infection or presumed infection. This includes best practice recommendations in connection with testing, contact tracing, monitoring, social distancing, hygiene measures, food service, quarantine and education among others. Each university will develop its own health and safety plan consistent with the committee’s recommendations along with relevant state and local public health guidance. A summary of the Medical Advisory Committee’s detailed recommended protocols that have been shared with Pac-12 universities can be found here as well as below:
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