Earlier this week, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith appeared on the local ESPN affiliate in Columbus and confirmed that the football team is on schedule to begin walkthroughs Friday and the start of fall camp on August 7.
Yesterday, an athletic department spokesman provided some further details on what that will look like, including protocols and areas still off-limits as Friday hits. It will all start with a 14-day period of the next football access phase approved by the NCAA that must only result in 20-hours per week total per athlete. Here’s a bullet-pointed look at what this period will look like:
- Up to eight hours per week of weight training and conditioning (no sports equipment can be used);
- Up to six hours per week of walk-throughs, which may include the use of a football (no conditioning or contact; no protective equipment; and no speed drills); and
- Up to six hours per week of meetings, which may include film review, position meetings, one-on-one meetings, etc.
- Student-athletes must be provided two days off during the 14-day period.
- Skill instruction (ie: practice) is not allowed until the beginning of preseason practice, which is set for Aug. 7.
Additionally, the following include the health and safety protocols that will be in place to mitigate the spread of COVID-19:
- Health and safety protocols are designed to be as responsible as possible based on guidelines established by the Ohio State COVID-19 Transition Task Force and its Safe Campus and Scientific Advisory Subgroup, and also the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Ohio Department of Health.
- Ohio State football players are being routinely tested for COVID-19 and training/workout decisions will continue to be re-evaluated by medical staff to protect the health and safety of students.
- To protect the individual medical privacy of the student-athletes, the university will not release information about the test results.
- A strict set of protocols remain in place requiring daily symptoms assessments, physical distancing, masks, hygiene, limited density in indoor spaces and cleaning procedures.
- Players will continue to dress/undress at their apartments and bring used workout gear back the next day for daily cleaning by the equipment staff.
- Upon completion of activities, student-athletes will pick up clean workout clothes for the next day and receive food-to-go before exiting premises.
- Workouts at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center will take place in the weight room, on the indoor field and as much as possible on the outdoor fields.
- Areas off limits at this time include the locker room, showers and players’ lounge.