Plan to get football, basketball teams on campus
Florida State athletics officials have not set a date for when football and basketball athletes will be able to participate in voluntary workouts on campus, but the Seminoles expect to welcome them back in June.
The NCAA Division I council voted Wednesday to allow athletes in the two sports to return to campus for workouts as long as they are not supervised by coaches and the sessions are optional. The workouts must also comply with local, state and national safety instructions.
Athletes who were recovering from injuries or could not return home safely, including those who are from international locations, were allowed to use campus facilities throughout the coronavirus shutdown that dated back to March.
FSU athletics director David Coburn said in a statement released to the Orlando Sentinel the Seminoles are working on their plans for player access following the NCAA council decision.
“We have not yet established a definitive date of return, but we are actively planning for a safe and sustainable return to campus some time in June,” the statement read. “We have begun testing student-athletes who are in Tallahassee and will align with NCAA, ACC, state, university and local guidelines.”
The Tallahassee Democrat reported nearly 40 football players and 20 football staff members were tested for coronavirus at the student health center.
The ACC is allowing each school to decide when it will welcome athletes back to campus for individual workouts.
The
league announced
Monday it set up a COVID-19 medical advisory group that will give ACC leaders the latest medical guidance to help make other key decisions moving forward.
The SEC will vote Friday to determine whether athletes can resume on-campus workouts on June 1. The Florida Gators could immediately begin bringing more players on campus on that date or take more time to set up a safety protocol.
UCF is still working on its plan to bring football and basketball campus.
The American Athletic Conference is letting its schools determine when conditions are suitable locally for resuming workouts, so the decision will be up to the Knights. There are no local or state orders preventing UCF from hosting workouts as long as players get temperature checks, wear masks when close to each other, practice social distancing as much as possible, wash their hands or use
players back
to hand sanitizer frequently and sanitize equipment after each time it is used.
In Central Florida, the Orlando Magic, Orlando City and Orlando Pride have all resumed individual workouts with coronavirus safety measures in place.
UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton is among the injured athletes who have been working out on campus and he recently had a health scare, telling ESPN he developed a fever last week and was relieved he tested negative for coronavirus after visiting UCF’s drive-up testing site.
UCF receiver Tre Nixon said during a videoconference with reporters Thursday he has not heard from his coaches about when he’ll be able to go back to campus for individual workouts, but he’s looking forward to it.
“That’s great news,” he said of the NCAA’s decision. “That’s a good step in the right direction.”
ESPN reported the NCAA Division I council ran out of time during its conference call to settle when voluntary athletics activities could begin in all other sports, but the group is expected to consider measures in the next week.