NCAA Taking Steps To Return To Sports

The NCAA ruling body released late last week steps that are to be taken to get collegiate athletics back up and running. Named the “Core Principles of Resocialization of Collegiate Sport,” it was put forth by the previously assembled Covid-19 Advisory Panel. It is a nine step process that is expected to be done in three phrases. 

At bare minimum, we are at least a month and a half away from anything close to resembling normalcy when it comes to collegiate athletics.  That would put us in the middle of June. Everyone is eager at this point, but the Advisory Panel wants to make sure things are in place and the correct health steps are taken.

9-Step Process:

1. There must not be directives at the national level that preclude resocialization.
2. State and local authorities must have in place a plan for resocialization.
3. There should be a plan in place at the university/college level for resocialization of students.
4. There must be a plan in place at the university/college level for resocialization of student-athletes within athletics.
5. There must be adequate personal protective equipment for athletics health care providers, and there must be sanitizers to manage infection control in all shared athletics space.
6. There must be the ability to assess immunity to COVID-19 at a regional and local level. This could include immunity at the college campus, plus a more focused assessment of herd immunity for athletics teams.
7. There must be access to reliable, rapid diagnostic testing on any individual who is suspected of having COVID-19 symptoms.
8. There must be in place a local surveillance system so that newly identified cases can be identified promptly and isolated, and their close contacts must be managed appropriately.
9. There must be clearly identified and transparent risk analyses in place. Such risk analyses consider issues such as economics, education, restoration of society, and medical risk of sport participation, including COVID-19 infection and possible death.