NCAA approves practice plan to put coaches back in front of teams

Georgia coach Kirby Smart will be back supervising players July 15 after the NCAA Division I Council approved a six-week practice plan Wednesday. The Bulldogs open the season Sept. 7, Labor Day, against Virginia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. UGA’s start date for the sixweek plan is two days later than for most schools. That’s because the Bulldogs and Cavaliers play on a Monday night — two days later than the traditional Saturday game day.

Georgia players have been back on campus since early June, beginning voluntary workouts in lockstep with other SEC schools June 8. The strength-and-conditioning staff has overseen workouts. The football coaching staffs are not allowed to supervise voluntary workouts or monitor results.

The six-week practice plan designed by the NCAA Football Oversight Committee begins with a “Summer Access” period for the football coaching staff July 15-25 (for Georgia). The players can have eight hours of weight training, conditioning and film review (not more than two hours per week of film). The second part of the new plan involves an “Enhanced Summer Access” period of two weeks. Coaches can have 20 hours of countable athletically related activities per week. The activities beginning July 26 for UGA include: Up to eight hours per week for weight training, conditioning and film review; no more than one hour per day for walk-through, which may include the use of a football; and up to one hour per day for meetings.

The Division I Council also was expected to approve a plan for men’s and women’s basketball. On-court activity would begin July 20 and can last eight weeks until the first day of classes, or Sept. 15 — whichever comes first. The skill instruction on the court can’t exceed more than four of the allowed eight hours of work per week, per an NCAA.com release detailing the NCAA oversight committee plans.