The Pac-12 took another step forward to sports potentially being back this fall as the conference removed restrictions of on-campus activities that have been in place since early March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. All sports will be able to return to campus to begin voluntary workouts beginning June 15, the league said in a press release on Tuesday.
Conferences across the country have already started to make similar moves with the SEC deciding last week that it will allow on-campus activities beginning June 8.
“The Pac-12 is committed to the well-being of our student-athletes, and the decision to allow for voluntary workouts, subject to a determination by each school, is guided by the advice of our medical experts and will be supported by the detailed protocols established by our medical advisory committee in concert with our campus’ own safety guidelines,” Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said in a statement. “As states have either already opened or begin to open up access to parks, gyms and other training facilities, student-athletes should have the option at this time to be in, what for many, will be a much safer environment on campus, where they can have access to the best available health, well-being and training support.”
Arizona is one state where restrictions were relaxed earliest in the United States paving the way for a return to activities among college athletes.
UA football coach Kevin Sumlin said recently that the state loosening its restrictions does not mean the Wildcats will be back on the field right away, and the conference is going to leave the final decision about a return up to the individual universities and programs since there are different restrictions in the various locales of the schools within the Pac-12.
According to Arizona Daily Star reporter Bruce Pascoe, the UA men's basketball program will not begin its summer workouts until July despite the decision by the Pac-12 on Tuesday.
The league's previous restrictions have been set to expire on May 31, so a decision had to be made about whether or not to extend them or not beyond that date.
College football is one of the biggest sports in focus this spring as decision-makers hope to have the season begin on time in late August. UA athletic director Dave Heeke previously said that a season without football would be "devastating" to the economics of college sports because of the revenue that is generated by football alone.
“Arizona Athletics’ re-entry team of medical and operational staff have been working in partnership with campus partners to evaluate and define re-entry strategies for the last month,” Heeke said in a statement. “Our team will consider the recommendations and options given our developing safety protocols, and we will discuss the possibilities with the university’s Re-Entry Task Force and President (Robert C.) Robbins. A comprehensive plan for Arizona Athletics to safely return to campus will be developed based on those discussions.”
Football programs want at least six weeks of preparation before taking the field for a game, so Tuesday's decision will certainly pave the way for that to happen. Scott said last week that he believes teams will be ready for training camp to open in late July as long as the current progress continues amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Pac-12 COVID-19 Medical Advisory Committee also released its guidelines for a safe return to campus on Tuesday that includes five phases such as a return to campus, return to athletic facility, facility specific considerations, return to exercise and response to infection or presumed infection.
“As educational institutions, our highest obligation is to the health and welfare of our students, faculty, and staff,” Pac-12 CEO Group Chair and University of Colorado Boulder Chancellor Philip DiStefano said. “As we considered the pros and cons of taking steps that can pave a path to returning to play, those considerations were foremost, guided by the advice of our own medical experts along with public health officials.”
