Big 12 takes a significant step toward starting college football on time
The Big 12 will allow its football programs to hold voluntary workouts starting June 15, TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati acknowledged on Friday.
The conference presidents and chancellors approved on Friday the return of football players to campuses. Earlier in the day, the SEC approved a return date of June 8.
The Big 12 will allow the remaining fall-sports athletes (volleyball, soccer and cross country) to return July 1 with winter and spring sports having a July 15 target date.
“This phased approach is intended to permit gradual adoption of best practices for mitigation of COVID-19 as well as ensuring a safe environment and appropriately prepared facilities,” the conference said in a statement. “Until these dates, the Conference’s activities policy that was scheduled to sunset May 31 remains in effect for all Big 12 student-athletes.”
This is a significant step toward the college football season starting on time for those schools and teams being able to play complete seasons. Most believed that programs would need at least six weeks to prepare for a season, and this will give them more than 11 weeks before Week 1 games.
Big 12 schools will have to adhere to local and state protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic. All five states in which Big 12 schools are located (Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Kansas and West Virginia) have allowed gyms to reopen in limited capacity.
Earlier this week, the NCAA approved voluntary workouts to begin as early as June 1.
“We encourage each school to use its discretion to make the best decisions possible for football and basketball student-athletes within the appropriate re-socialization framework,” the NCAA’s council chair and Penn athletic director M. Grace Calhoun said.
“Allowing for voluntary athletics activity acknowledges that reopening our campuses will be an individual decision but should be based on advice from medical experts.”
This story was originally published May 22, 2020 at 6:42 PM.
