Oklahoma football will be back in session for voluntary workouts on July 1, athletic director Joe Castiglione announced Tuesday.
"As we have planned for the reopening of our facilities, the health of our student-athletes and staff has been our top priority," Castiglione said in a release. "It is the principle that has guided every step of our meticulous process. At OU, we are fortunate to have one of the most respected teams of doctors and athletic trainers in the country. We have looked to them for direction in our preparation and protocols. They will continue to play an important role in the weeks leading up to our opening and beyond.
"We believe in our approach and are convinced that it best positions our student-athletes and staff for long-term success. It is with great excitement that we look forward to their return in preparation for the upcoming sports seasons."
Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley has emphasized being patient throughout this process, saying earlier this month that college football only gets "one shot" to return to play.
"As I have stated before, we are going to approach this return with extreme care," Riley said in a statement Tuesday. "We have received tremendous guidance from highly respected medical professionals, and we will follow their recommendations. We understand that the well-being of our student-athletes is at the top of our responsibilities. That's why we will be diligent in how we manage everything from the way we relate to each other to the cleaning of our facilities and beyond.
"Our medical personnel have told us that the safest thing we can do is keep our players off campus for as long as possible. We chose the latest point that we could bring them back and still have enough time to prepare."
July 1 marks exactly 66 days before the Sooners are scheduled to open their season against Missouri State on Sept. 5. Perhaps more notably, Oklahoma is scheduled to host Tennessee on Sept. 12. SEC facilities are able to be open to players for voluntary workouts on June 8.
It's unclear what types of workouts or practices OU players will be going through when they return to campus. However, in the statement released by OU, the university did clarify that workouts will "initially include 10 or fewer participants." A typical fall camp would usually start the first week of August.
