SEC Approves Video Conferencing With Players, Could Big 12 be Next?
The Southeastern Conference took the first steps toward allowing virtual team meetings by approving video conferencing between coaches and players.
The new rules go into effect Monday and will allow coaches to meet with players via programs like Zoom and Facetime.
The Big 12 has yet to address the issue, though most now believe that the conference will follow suit and allow virtual meetings between players and coaches as soon as this week.
This time of year football programs would normally be ramping up spring practices, a short window of opportunity to get players on-field instruction with the coaching staff, but all sports activities have been suspended as a result of control measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Though a few programs are holding out hope for some form of spring practice, most have conceded they will not get spring workouts in before the end of the semester.
The new rules won't replace the kind of on-field instruction and workouts players would have received with a live coaching staff but should blunt some of the impact expected from a lack of spring ball this year.
There is still speculation as to what will happen next. Some believe there may not be a 2021 college football season at all. Others have suggested an abbreviated version that only includes conference games. There are even more radical ideas floating around like playing a shortened schedule through the summer months, when some believe the spread of the virus is less likely to occur.
In truth, nobody really knows what's going to happen over the next few weeks and months during this unprecedented time in world and American history, but getting players some sort of instruction from coaches will return a small modicum of normalcy to the sporting world.
