USA Today Sports
Report: NCAA Approves Athletics to Resume in Three Major Sports on June 1st
The NCAA Division 1 council met today, and it apparently resulted in huge news for sports fans. There has been speculation that college sports would return in some form in June, and now it appears that will happen.
According to Pete Thamel, national college football and basketball reporter for Yahoo Sports, we will see a step towards normal on June 1st.
Thamel tweeted, "Sources: The NCAA Division 1 Council voted to approve voluntary athletic activities in football, MBB, and WBB to start June 1st and go through June 30th. There had been a moratorium on that through May 31st. Other sports will be acted on on a later date."
According to NCAA.org, a voluntary activity is as follows: To be considered a "voluntary" activity, all the following conditions must be met:The student-athlete must not be required to report back to a coach or other athletics department staff member (e.g., strength coach, trainer, manager) any information related to the activity. In addition, noncoaching athletics department staff members who observe the activity (e.g., strength coach, trainer, manager) may not report back to the student-athletes coach any information related to the activity;[NOTE: Coaches may not observe voluntary activities.]
The activity must be initiated and requested solely by the student-athlete. Neither the institution nor any athletics department staff member may require the student-athlete to participate in the activity at any time;
The student-athlete's attendance and participation in the activity (or lack thereof) may not be recorded for the purposes of reporting such information to coaching staff members or other student-athletes,
and The student-athlete may not be subjected to penalty if he or she elects not to participate in the activity. In addition, neither the institution nor any athletics department staff member may provide recognition or incentives (e.g., awards) to a student-athlete based on his or her attendance or performance in the activity.
This is certainly a step in the right direction for a return to some form of normalcy this fall, as this will allow student-athletes back on campus in the next 14 days. There will still be social distancing rules to follow, but this is the first step to football in the fall.
