The next few weeks will be critical in whether or not we will see a SEC football season this fall and, on Monday, the people that help run the conference met in Birmingham to discuss the situation.
From the SEC statement:
“We had a productive meeting on Monday and engaged in discussions on a number of important issues that will contribute to critical decisions to be made in the weeks ahead,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “The ability to personally interact over the course of an entire day contributed to the productivity of the meeting.”
The meeting marked the first in-person meeting of the Conference athletics directors since the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament in Nashville in March. The athletics directors have met multiple times per week via videoconference since the discontinuation of athletic competition in March due to the pandemic.
“It is clear that current circumstances related to COVID-19 must improve and we will continue to closely monitor developments around the virus on a daily basis,” Sankey said. “In the coming weeks we will continue to meet regularly with campus leaders via videoconferences and gather relevant information while guided by medical advisors. We believe that late July will provide the best clarity for making the important decisions ahead of us.”
The athletic directors heard a report from members of the SEC’s Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force and discussed issues relevant to the current pre-season calendar and the approaching fall seasons of competition, including an update on current COVID-19 testing procedures.
Among the topics discussed were possible scheduling options for holding athletic competition in the fall of 2020.
Also, among the topics discussed were game management best practices for ensuring a healthy environment at athletics events for student-athletes, coaches, officials, staff and fans.