In another sign of college football starting, and on time this fall, the NCAA is reportedly planning to approve a six-week plan to jumpstart the season. The first to report the plan being circulated was Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger.
The first phase is already in place on a lot of campuses, but the timeline looks like the following and could officially be implemented if the NCAA D1 Committee approves the final version it at the next meeting on June 17:
Voluntary and virtual activities
- From June 1 up until 25 days prior to the first permissible preseason practice date, eight hours of voluntary and virtual activities only (already in place at Ohio State and other schools).
Summer Access
- Summer access that includes eight hours of weight training, conditioning, and film review (no more than 2 hours of film review).
- May begin 25 days prior to the first permissible preseason practice date.
Summer Access with walkthroughs and meetings
- May begin 14 calendar days prior to the school’s first permissible preseason practice date.
- Allowable 20 hours of countable athletically related activities (CARA) per week of the following:
- Up to eight hours per week of weight training, conditioning, and film review (no more than two hours of film review per week).
- Up to one hour per day for walkthroughs (no more than six hours per week), that may include the use of a football.
- Up to one hour per day for meetings (no more than six hours per week). May include team meetings, position meetings, 1:1s, etc.
- Two days off will be required during this period.
Preseason
- Begins on the current legislated date (29 days before first contest) and the acclimatization period and number of practices would remain the same.
- Daily and weekly CARA limits begin with the school’s first day of classes or seven days before the first contest, whichever is earlier.
Regular season
- No changes to current FBS rules as it relates to CARA limits (four hours daily, 20 hours weekly.
Next … what it means for Ohio State
The timeline for Ohio State
If approved, here’s where we are for Ohio State. The Buckeyes are already in the midst of the voluntary and virtual activities period. That started on Monday with players and coaches returning to campus for workouts (voluntary).
Now to back into everything based on the first scheduled contest. Ohio State is set to kick things off against Bowling Green on September 5. That means the first permissible preseason practice is 29 days prior to that. That would make that date as August 7, much like most other schools.
That means that July 13 would be the first day of summer access, followed by walkthroughs and meetings to commence on July 24. That would then lead into preseason practice that we’ve already established of Friday, August 7.
As far as CARA limits go, Ohio State has announced intentions of having fall semester begin on an adjusted date of August 25, so those would take effect at that time since it is more than seven days out from the first game date of Septemeber 5.
Bottom line — if approved, fall practice will begin on August 7 with the season starting on September 5, at home, in a stadium that could have fans to some degree against Bowling Green.
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