NCAA Issues Updated COVID-19 Guidelines for Fall Sports

NCAA President Mark Emmert says the data for fall sports to return is pointed in "the wrong direction."

On Thursday, the NCAA Sport Science Institute released an updated set of guidelines for the coronavirus furthering their efforts to protect student-athletes and communities from COVID-19.

These recommendations are centered around fall sports that require close contact with one another, including daily self-health checks, the appropriate use of face coverings/masks, and social distancing during all activities inside and outside of athletics.

Additionally, testing is being recommended within 72 hours of competing in a high contact sport, such as football.

And universities must comply with the public health standards set forth by their communities.

"When we made the extremely difficult decision to cancel last spring's championships it was because there was simply no way to conduct them safely," said NCAA President Mark Emmert. "This document lays out the advice of health care professionals as to how to resume college sports if we can achieve an environment where COVID-19 rates are manageable. Today, sadly, the data point in the wrong direction. If there is to be college sports in the fall, we need to get a much better handle on the pandemic."

The NCAA said their updated guidelines were "developed in collaboration with the NCAA COVID-19 Advisory Panel, American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) COVID-19 Working Group, Autonomy-5 Medical Advisory Group, National Medical Association, and NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports Prevention and Performance Subcommittee. The guidance also takes into consideration recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

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