Summarizing the Key Points of the NCAA Resocialization of Collegiate Sport Plan
The NCAA Sport Science Institute released their 'Resocialization of Collegiate Sport: Developing Standards for Practice and Competition,' a plan of guidelines recommended to safely return to sports this fall.
Sort of like the 'Pirate's Code,' these are more guidelines, not rules. Individual conferences will be making their own decisions as to how to regulate and mandate testing and return-to-play standards, but the NCAA is trying to provide it's own information to help conferences make decisions.
Below were some of the major takeaways from reading the latest publication.
The NCAA stressed that asymptomatic spread of COVID-19 is very common in young people, individuals that populate college sports. Additionally, those with a Body Mass Index of 30 or more are more susceptible to COVID-19.
Of course, many offensive and defensive lineman exceed that BMI of 30, yet those individuals are also in much better shape and contain much more muscle mass than the typical individual above a BMI of 30.
As far as testing protocols, these were the recommendations from the NCAA:
- Testing should occur during preseason, in season, and postseason
- COVID-19 testing and results should be obtained within 72 hours of competition
- Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing is preferable
- Follow CDC recommendations for positive rest results
- All individuals with high-risk exposure to positive tests must be quarantined for 14 days
The league is also suggesting that all training occur outdoors. Masks should be worn 'whenever feasible' and face shields when possible as well.
Interestingly, these mask recommendations even extend to the sidelines in-game. To quote "universal masking should be observed on all sidelines, including when an athlete moves from the playing field to the sideline to confer with a coach."
All other recommendations follow along with typical everyday practices in the coronavirus world. Social distancing should be observed when possible and hand sanitation frequently.
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin even proposed on Thursday's RebTalk that there may be times it would be more prudent to even do the bare minimum in practices to keep players from interacting closely, saying "it’s going to make us not play as well but we’ll have more players than the other team."
It's going to be a weird looking college football season if the college football season even happens as planned in the fall. As mentioned, this NCAA release acts only as a guideline for what conferences may implement, but it still suggest an ever-changing landscape.
More From The Grove Report:
Twelve Mississippi High Schoolers named Sports Illustrated All-American Candidates
Lane Kiffin Has A Unique Idea That Could Help Keep Ole Miss Football Virus-Free
SEC Will Honor Scholarships if Athletes Sit out Amid COVID-19 Concerns
You can join The Grove Report community by clicking "Follow" on the top righthand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @SIRebels and @nategabler.
