Widespread testing for coronavirus will be crucial to having college sports in the fall – especially contact sports such as football and basketball, the NCAA’s chief medical officer said Friday.
What We Know:
- Brian Hainline expressed cautious optimism that college sports could be played during the fall semester as long as leaders take a methodical approach. Access to coronavirus testing will be a determining factor for Hainline, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
“I will tell you that 80% of the conversation centered around testing. And more specifically what happens in contact sports like basketball or football, when one of the players tests positive. Does that mean quarantine? Does that mean we do very regular testing?” – Hainline, NCAA Chief Medical Officer
- The NCAA also released guidelines from its COVID-19 Advisory Panel for getting teams up and running on campuses. The guidelines start with students back at school, which has become a familiar refrain among college sports leaders in recent weeks.
- The NCAA intends to resume collegiate play based on a three-phase guideline modeled after the White House’s plan to restart the economy. While reopening practice facilities is likely to commence in phase three, the NCAA projects that fans will not be allowed to attend sporting events as spectators until later down the road.
- The priority is to be able to test athletes, coaches and support staff so competition can begin. “I think realistically having a football game with 90,000 fans, that would take a remarkable turnaround in a short period of time,” Hainline said.
Hainline also consults the U.S. Tennis Association, which runs the U.S. Open in New York. That event draws hundreds of thousands to the Billie Jean King Tennis Center over two weeks. As of now, the U.S. Open is still scheduled to be held Aug. 24- Sept. 13.
