Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Owl players permitted to return to campus
Phased-in approach is expected to have full team back by late June
FAU football players will be able to experience a gradual sense of normalcy in the coming weeks.
Brian White, Florida Atlantic’s vice president and director of athletics, announced Wednesday that starting June 8, players will be allowed to return to campus as a part of the university’s expected phased-in approach that’s expected to have the entire team back by late June.
The NCAA Division I Council voted to allow voluntary oncampus athletic activities last week in football and men’s and women’s basketball starting June 1, ending the moratorium for all on-campus athletic activities due to the novel coronavirus pandemic that was set to expire Sunday.
“Our number one priority, as always, is the safety of our student-athletes staff and community,” White said. “Over the last several weeks, our staff has worked together with university leadership, university and local health officials and Conference USA to develop this plan for a safe return to campus for the student-athletes, coaches and staff.”
White suspended all prac
tices until further notice March 13 while Conference USA canceled all spring sports competitions on March 16. C-USA appears to be allowing each school to make the decision dependent upon its state or local government restrictions.
“Our student-athletes couldn’t be more excited about getting back to campus,” said FAU football coach Willie Taggart, who’s entering his first season with the Owls after being hired in December. “Everyone involved with our program is committed to the health and well-being of our studentathletes.
“While it won’t be what it would be considered a normal summer training program, the guys are very much looking forward to being back in the weight room, and on the field and around their teammates and coaches as a newer coaching staff, we’re looking forward to this opportunity to continue getting to know our young man as well. I like to thank everyone involved for their due diligence and we’re going to provide a healthy, safe process for our studentathletes as we work through this pandemic.”
The Pac-12 announced Tuesday that it will allow for voluntary in-person athletic workouts for all sports starting June 15. The Southeastern Conference announced last week that in-person athletics activities at campuses may start June 8, while ESPN reported that the Big Ten is expected to leave the decision to each school.
None of the other Group of Five conferences have made an announcement as to whether it will make a conference-wide decision about student-athletes returning to campus for voluntary athletic activities or leave the decision up to each school.
White said the university will, “enact a number of safety procedures in order to maintain a healthy, safe environment for everyone based on best practice guidelines from agencies such as the Florida Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization”.
“Our student-athletes are role models in many respects of their lives,” White said, “and I expect them to continue those examples while the strict protocols are in place.”