What safety measures will the NCAA take when sports resume this fall (assuming they do)? We’ve been wondering that for months and finally, thanks to Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger, we have a clearer picture of what those protocols might look like. Dellenger obtained a copy of a six-page document distributed to all Power Five schools, detailing a list of mandatory safety requirements amid the coronavirus pandemic. A few of the highlights:
- All Power Five athletes competing in “high-risk” sports—those include football, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, ice hockey, field hockey, rowing, water polo, squash, rugby, volleyball and wrestling—will be tested 72 hours prior to games. Athletes in other sports will be tested less frequently.
- Athletes testing positive for the virus will be isolated from their respective teams for a minimum of 10 days and won’t be permitted to return until they’ve been symptom-free (common symptoms include a fever, coughing and shortness of breath) for at least three days. Anyone who has been in “high-risk” contact (defined as being within six feet for 15 or more minutes without wearing a mask) with someone who tested positive must quarantine for a minimum of 14 days, even if they test negative. Participating in face-to-face or contact drills with someone who has COVID would qualify as “high risk,” thus requiring a mandatory 14-day quarantine.
- Athletes who have recovered from the coronavirus are exempt from weekly testing unless symptoms persist.
- Game officials will be subject to weekly testing due to their close proximity to players. Tests aren’t required for coaches, though coaches and staff who aren’t tested must wear masks on the sideline during games.
- Requirements for testing athletes who aren’t in season will be left up to each individual school.
- Play will be suspended under any of the following five conditions:
1. Schools are unable to isolate or quarantine new positive and high-risk cases
2. Schools are unable to handle the demands of weekly testing
3. Campus or community test rates are deemed “unsafe” by local health officials
4. Schools are unable to perform adequate contact tracing for positive cases
5. Local medical facilities aren’t equipped or don’t have the infrastructure to handle a surge in COVID-related hospitalizations
The fall sports season is still very much in limbo with pessimism growing by the day as states like Florida and California continue to experience widespread COVID outbreaks. Two of the Power Five leagues—the Big Ten and Pac-12—have already scrapped their non-conference slates in an effort to minimize travel. The NCAA still has plenty of work to do finding a safe way to resume sports amid unprecedented circumstances, but at least athletes from the 65 Power Five programs now have a general idea of what to expect when they return to campus this fall.
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