College Football: NCAA Oversight Committee Looking at Six-Week Preseason Camp
Colleges across the nation are preparing for the return of athletes to campus as the ban prohibiting them from working out at school facilities is set to expire Jun1, with the SEC set to allow their return June 8, as both athletes and teams begin working toward the assumed start of the season, though official details on that have yet to be announced.
On Thursday, Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports reported the NCAA's football oversight committee is expected to recommend a six-week preseason camp for the 2020 season. The committee is expected to sort out the particular details within the next week before submitting an official proposal. Submission for final approval to the NCAA Division I Council is expected for mid-June.
According to SI's Ross Dellenger, the six-week program would begin in mid-to-late July and would incorporate two weeks of OTA practices before a four-week camp in August. Teams that kick off on Aug. 29, would begin OTA practices July 18, while teams kicking off on Labor Day would start July 25. OTA practices would be more like walk-throughs, which would help make up for lost time during spring practices. Of the 130 FBS programs, 52 never started spring practice.
Vanderbilt will host Mercer on September 5, during the Labor Day weekend, meaning head coach Derek Mason and his Commodores would begin their two week OTA style practice- Organized Team Activities, which NFL teams do where only shorts, t-shirts, and helmets are allowed- before beginning a four-week training camp in preparation for a season.
"Dellenger reports that the proposal will require at least four weeks of practice before teams play their first games. "Six weeks could be optimal, but four could be the minimum,” says West Virginia athletic director Shane Lyons, who's also a member of the NCAA Division I Council and the football oversight committee. “Some might just do four, but can’t get back in time to do six. If somebody is not allowed to practice until Aug. 15 and their first game is Sept. 5, they might miss the first two weeks because their state might not allow them to return in time.”
There is the possibility that this schedule could be moved forward to allow for the six-week period should the NCAA and administrators determine that is the best course for athletes and teams, and that any potential issues from the coronavirus are mitigated.
Still, there could be other issues that interrupt this proposal or cause adjustments to be made, but this seems another step in the right direction toward college football taking its place, in some form or fashion in late August or early September.
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