Tag: chief medical officer

NCAA chief medical officer gives negative outlook on fall college football

Given Hainline’s comments, football in the fall feels like an unlikely outcome.

In an appearance on CNN early Sunday morning, NCAA chief medical officer Brian Hainline gave a grim summary of the challenges facing college sports. Namely, that resource limitations currently keep college sports hanging in the balance.

Here are some highlights of what Hainline said about the season during his slot.

  • “The pathway to play sports is so exceedingly narrow right now. Everything would have to line up perfectly.”
  • “If testing stays as it is, there’s no way we could go forward with sports.”
  • Added the greater risk is regular students resocializing on campuses. Says that could be “the downfall” if schools can’t handle that.

Of primary concern to Hainline and other NCAA medical experts is the prospect of students returning to campus in the coming weeks. The SEC, Big 12 and ACC are all currently planning on having football in the fall, though more spikes like the ones at Notre Dame and North Carolina could jeopardize that.

Unlike the other two leagues, the SEC delayed the beginning of its season until Sep. 26, presumably to allow league officials to gauge how students’ return to campus affects the situation.

But given Hainline’s comments, football in the fall feels like an unlikely outcome.

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NFL’s chief medical officer ‘not putting dates’ on players returning

The NFL’s chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, is “not putting dates on the calendar” as far as when players will be allowed to return.

A number of NFL teams began to slowly open their facilities this week, including the Cardinals, Colts, Falcons and Cowboys. Clubs have been directed by the league to follow strict protocols as they start to open their doors and to comply with state and local governments’ directives.

The majority of employees who are resuming work are in the teams’ operational departments. Coaches, for instance, are still not permitted at the facilities.

While clearly there is some momentum in the openings, the NFL’s chief medical officer has not yet settled on a timeline for when the players can return.

“We are not putting dates on the calendar at this point,” Dr. Allen Sills said via NFL.com’s Judy Battista. Sills made his statement during a virtual owners meeting on Tuesday during which offseason planning was discussed.

Sills acknowledged that football, a contact sport, would provide a number of challenges as far as safety and social distancing are concerned.

“We fully expect we will have positive cases that will arise,” Sills said.

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