As first reported by Yahoo! sports, the NCAA has voted to allow football––along with men’s and women’s basketball–players to perform voluntary workouts on-campus starting June 1st. This signals a shift, as the NCAA has not allowed any organized team-related activities since canceling all ongoing winter and spring sports back in March.
While this seems like a big and important step towards allowing football and other sports to resume in the fall, it’s really just a tiny necessary move. The current plan expires June 30th. Presumably, this gives the NCAA and relevant schools a month to try to collect data on if players are getting sick and what training practices–if any–might be safest to try to continue. No one wants to see a season canceled, certainly, but seeing seasons start and then be forced to stop due to safety issues would be even worse.
And, of course, there are several other hurdles to pass before we can see any sports return, let alone thinking about fans in the stands. Local laws will matter. The status of potential outbreaks in relevant states is unpredictable. What will teams do about scheduling if some schools or regions aren’t ready when the season starts? And what happens if some schools or areas have to shut down mid-season?
Yes, workouts are a good and encouraging step to see. And they’ll also be important to programs and players looking to further their careers. But we’re a very long way from knowing anything for sure about what a season might bring. That’s something to always keep in mind as we see steps towards (or even away from) normal sports activity.
