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After COVID-19 closed facilities throughout the SEC for more than two months, players will soon start returning to campus.
Conference presidents and chancellors voted Friday to allow schools to welcome student-athletes back for workouts June 8. Shortly afterward, Florida released its plan for how that will happen.
"Voluntary in-person athletics activities may resume on SEC campuses, at the discretion of each university, beginning June 8 under strict supervision of designated university personnel and safety guidelines developed by each institution," the league announced.
This decision will end the SEC's moratorium on all athletic activities May 31. The league already had the green light from the NCAA Division I Council, which voted Wednesday to approve voluntary workouts in June for football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball.
According to a UF press release, student-athletes for fall sports (including football players) will arrive first and begin physicals and COVID-19 testing May 26. Returning athletes in soccer and volleyball come back on June 15, followed by men's and women's basketball players June 29. Incoming freshmen for those sports will report July 1.
"Our student-athlete wellness group has been working for some time with UF Health officials on a plan to integrate our student-athletes back on campus. They have developed a gradual phasing program, so that we don't have an influx of a large number of student-athletes returning at once," Gators athletics director Scott Stricklin said. "Our student-athletes will be screened and tested through a partnership program with UF Health and our staff has worked with a number of experts to promote a safer environment for the return of our Gator student-athletes."
All players, coaches and UAA staff will be screened and tested for COVID-19 through the UF Health program before coming back to campus or utilizing training facilities. Access to the facilities are by appointment only, and all student-athletes must wear personal-protection equipment during each appointment excluding lifting sessions.
The SEC canceled spring sports on March 17 and suspended all athletic activities until April 15, which was later extended through May 31.
In a statement Tuesday, Florida president Kent Fuchs said the school is preparing to reopen for the fall semester. Students will be able to return after UF presents its plan for reopening to the Board of Governors on June 23.
On The Sam Pittman Show on 96.1 JAMZ in Tallahassee earlier this month, Stricklin said the football team is still planning on having their season opener against Eastern Washington.
"I can tell you our focus is we’re going to kick off Sept. 5," Stricklin said. "I hope we can do it in a way that looks like it’s always looked, but really at the end of the day it’s not up to us to decide that. It’s up to the health experts and how the virus is in our community or our state at that time.
"But I can’t sit here and tell you with any certainty, 100 percent it’s going to happen. I can tell you that we’re making plans as if it’s going to happen, and if we have to adjust and alter those plans we’ll figure out a way to do so.”
