California teams cleared for camp
Cal was the last team to receive clearance
The revised coronavirus guidance for higher education in California is 37 pages of restrictions, suggestions and, one could argue, obfuscations.
But scroll down-down-down, to the bottom of the 36th page, and you’ll find the sentence that matters more than any other for Pac12 football teams:
“Discontinuation of practice with contact and competition for the rest of the season may be considered by local health departments if more than 10% of athletes on a team test positive within a 14- day period.”
Cal, Stanford, UCLA and USC have a path through the sevengame season that begins Nov. 7, but it’s hardly free of obstacles or overflowing with clarity. Their journey began Friday with the start of training camp.
USC and UCLA received approval from state and county health officials for the full-contact, large- cohort practices needed to prepare for the season openers.
Stanford received state approval but not Santa Clara County clearance and opened camp Friday at nearby Woodside High School in San Mateo County.
The athletic department issued the following explanation: “Practices will be conducted under the State of California’s newest guidance for collegiate athletics. Stanford has been in contact with both San Mateo County and Santa Clara County regarding this interim plan and remains engaged with Santa Clara County public health officials regarding its proposal to commence on-campus practices.”
On Friday, the Bears became the last of the foursome to receive the required approval. An athletic department spokesperson said that Berkeley public health officials have signed off on largegroup workouts.
With the daily antigen testing in place, the state guidance allows teams to practice in large groups of 75 and “to the extent possible” smaller cohorts of 25.