Pac-12 extends suspension of organized team activities through May 31
No such news should come as any surprise amid this ever-evolving national health crisis, but the Pac-12 Conference announced Monday that it has extended the suspension of all organized team activities for its member schools through May 31.
As college football coaches wait to see if they'll be able to make up any of the time lost from suspended spring practices, the best-case scenarios continue to be pushed back further into the future, while concerns mount about the viability of the 2020 football season itself due to the uncertainty of quelling the coronavirus pandemic.
USC athletic director Mike Bohn addressed this matter in his letter to fans late last week.
"With respect to the 2020 football season and eligibility relief for spring student-athletes, we understand that you have many questions right now that we simply cannot answer. However, I can assure you that we are working tirelessly each day to address your concerns with the Pac-12 Conference and the NCAA," Bohn wrote. "My hope is that as we successfully flatten the curve over the next few weeks, we will gain clearer visibility into the timeline for returning to normalcy, and we’ll be better prepared to answer your questions."
USC football coach Clay Helton also shared some thoughts on the matter with TrojanSports.com recently.
As for the Pac-12's announcement Monday, here were some key bullet points:
Key elements of the suspension include the following:
-No organized, in-person team activities of any type.
-No in-person voluntary workouts, film study sessions, meetings, technique drills or practices of any type.
-Virtual or online supervised voluntary workouts and skill instruction are not permitted, regardless of location.
-Virtual group activities, including film study, are permitted to two (2) hours per week for football and four (4) hours per week for all other sports. The Pac-12 is appealing to the NCAA to increase the two-hour football limit in the near future.
-Coaches can recommend written, self-directed workout plans, and taped demonstration videos on workout plans are allowed in order to demonstrate proper form and technique.
-In-person, on-campus nutrition may be provided in circumstances where student-athletes are unable to leave campus, and off-campus nutrition is limited to distribution of products normally available on campus.
-It is fully permissible to provide non-athletically related support to student-athletes, including sports medicine treatments, physical therapy and rehabilitation; academic support; and mental health and wellness support.
-And it is permissible for institutions to provide off-campus student-athletes with apparel and personal equipment that is regularly available to student-athletes when they are on campus for conditioning workouts. It is not permissible to rent, purchase or arrange for conditioning or strength training equipment or machines.
A full copy of the Pac-12 pandemic policy can be found here.