The USA TODAY is reporting that the NCAA Division I council has voted to let football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball players to resume voluntary on-campus workouts beginning June 1.
This lifts a prohibition that has been in place since March that led to the cancellation of the several conference basketball tournaments, the annual NCAA Basketball Tournament and every other scheduled competition for the NCAA’s spring calendar.
What’s interesting about this is that not only will it vary state-to-state, but things will also vary in different parts of the same state.
First off, Notre Dame will be allowed to open up for athletes in those three sports to perform on-campus workouts. Just an hours drive to the west though, things aren’t expected to be open in Illinois as the “Land of Lincoln” remains under much stronger regulations than their neighbors to the east.
Virginia for example has different regulations in place for counties surrounding Washington, DC while the rest of the state is given a different set of rules for the time being.
What it all means is that what NCAA President Mark Emmert shared a few weeks back in that a uniformed start to college football isn’t likely as some teams will get a start June 1 while plenty of others will not.
There is a long road to go but if you’re hoping for college football to be played mostly as scheduled this fall, this is a huge step in the right direction.