A National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) moratorium on all sports activities, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will expire May 31 after the NCAA council decided that Division I football and basketball can resume on campus activities on a voluntary basis starting June 1, said CBS sports.
The council extended the blanket waiver allowing teams in those sports to require eight hours per week of virtual nonphysical activities through the end of June. This was done in recognition of the fact that some student-athletes won’t be able to return to campus or will not be comfortable doing so.
“We encourage each school to use its discretion to make the best decisions possible for football and basketball student-athletes within the appropriate resocialization framework,” said council chair M. Grace Calhoun, in a statement. “Allowing for voluntary athletics activity acknowledges that reopening our campuses will be an individual decision but should be based on advice from medical experts.”
The NCAA also said when this voluntary activity takes place, coaches may not be present unless a sport-specific safety exception allows it. In addition, activity cannot be directed by a coach or reported back to a coach.
