NCAA Releases Updated COVID-19 Protocols Ahead of 2021 College Football Season
The NCAA announced new COVID-19 guidelines for fall sports Wednesday. The protocols outline guidance concerning differences between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.
According to the release, there will be testing, quarantine, isolation, and other athletic and nonathletic activity considerations for unvaccinated and fully vaccinated Tier 1 individuals.
A Tier 1 individual is described as someone with the highest rates of exposure, whether it be student-athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, physical therapists, medical staff, equipment staff or officials
"Current vaccination rates remain inadequate to provide community-level immunity," NCAA Chief Medical Officer Brian Hainline said in the release. "It is essential that member schools work in concert with federal, state and local public health officials to develop COVID-19 prevention and management strategies that make sense for them."
The NCAA is taking caution against the emerging delta variant of COVID-19. Evidence suggests that fully vaccinated individuals can become infected by the variant and spread the virus to others even when asymptomatic, according to the release.
The release notes that vaccinated individuals have considerable protection from hospitalization and death caused by COVID-19, including the delta variant. However, college sports will continue to adapt to new data that surfaces throughout the fall sports season.
Recent Stories From Boilermakers Country
- BIG TEN DAILY, AUG. 5: Michigan State athletic director Bill Beekman resigns, former Penn State wrestler wins gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Illinois offensive lineman Jordan Slaughter suffers broken ankle in practice. Here's the latest from around the Big Ten. CLICK HERE
- 5 QUESTIONS AHEAD OF PURDUE FOOTBALL FALL CAMP: Purdue football's fall camp is set to begin Friday, with the first six practices being open to fans and media. Here are five of the biggest questions looming over the program that we'll search for answers for in August. CLICK HERE
- PURDUE FOOTBALL ADDS TWO STAFF MEMBERS: Purdue football has added David Elson and Mel Mills to the program's staff. Elson will serve in a quality control role while Mills was named director of player development. CLICK HERE
- BIG TEN BASKETBALL TARGET EMONI BATES RECLASSIFIES: Five-star forward Emoni Bates has reclassified to the class of 2021, and he included Michigan State among his top destinations after high school. Bates originally committed to the Spartans but decided to reopen his recruitment CLICK HERE
Become Part of the Boilermakers Country Community!
- Follow D.J. Fezler on Twitter: @DJFezler
- Follow Boilermakers Country on Twitter: @sports_purdue
- Like and follow Boilermakers Country on Facebook
