The on-ramp to the 2020 college football season is coming into focus.
A significant milestone was reached last month when the NCAA announced it would allow member institutions to commence voluntary on-campus workouts June 1. June 17, the NCAA Division I Council is expected to vote on a plan that would shape the path college football programs would take to prepare for the upcoming season.
That plan is currently being crafted by the NCAA’s Division I Football Oversight Committee. A draft of that group’s plan is expected to be finalized this Thursday, June 11. The committee will then submit their plan to Div. I Council for approval.
As it stands now, ESPN.com is reporting, the committee is working on what would be a six-week run-up to the upcoming college football season. For schools that begin the next campaign Labor Day weekend, the current proposal calls for mandatory workouts to commence July 13, followed by enhanced training July 24. A standard summer camp would then kick off Aug. 7. During the mandatory workouts and enhanced training, players will not be permitted to wear either helmets or pads, They will, though, be permitted to use footballs.
Coaches, who, other than strength staff, can’t oversee the current voluntary workouts, would be permitted to take part throughout the entire six-week practice period being developed.
Of course, the schools scheduled to start the college football season the week before Labor Day -- Notre Dame-Navy in Annapolis included -- would see the three phases of the plan initiated earlier. Whether it’s exactly a week earlier remains to be seen, although that would make the most sense.
As we stated earlier, the plan is still being crafted. Therefore, it isn’t finalized. In that vein, the first phase, the mandatory workouts, could be shortened. From ESPN.com:West Virginia athletic director Shane Lyons, who is chair of the Football Oversight Committee, told ESPN’s Andrea Adelson that there is one area that might change between the proposed calendar and what gets approved on Thursday, and that is shortening the window between the start of required workouts on July 13 and the start of enhanced training on July 24.
“Some people are thinking the summer access is too long,” Lyons said, based on feedback the committee has already received. “There’s a concern by making that part a requirement, it extends it to too long a period and whether that should be adjusted to make it shorter. Instead of starting on the 13th, start on the 20th. I haven’t heard of all the concerns and that’s why it was put out to the conferences, to start getting more input.Again, final approval from the Council is slated to be announced two weeks from Wednesday. At that time, we’ll have a greater understanding as to exactly what the prep work for the upcoming college football season will entail. Provided there is a 2020 college football season, of course.