South Carolina News: SEC Votes to Allow Voluntary In-Person Athletic Activities

The South Carolina football team, along with the SEC’s other 13 members, will be permitted to resume voluntary in-person athletic activities starting in June.

We’re less than 100 days from college football’s opening kick, and the SEC has come out with some positive news, and a good sign for folks hoping to start the season this Fall.

Chancellors and Presidents of the league’s 14 schools voted Friday to permit voluntary in-person athletic activities on campus, at the discretion of each university.  June will be considered a transition month that allows players and coaches to gradually adapt to full training and sport activity following this recent time of inactivity.

These activities only consist of supervised workouts, and don’t allow for any mandatory practice time, but this is definitely a step in the right direction as the SEC looks to push on with a September season start.

Commissioner Greg Sankey said in his press conference that the league is “preparing to begin the fall sports season as currently scheduled,” while noting that officials are taking necessary precautions with this “complex and constantly-evolving situation.”

Recommended health and safety measures include:

• Enhanced education of all team members on health and wellness best practices, including but not limited to preventing the spread of COVID-19
• A 3-stage screening process that involves screening before student-athletes arrive on campus, within 72 hours of entering athletics facilities and on a daily basis upon resumption of athletics activities
• Testing of symptomatic team members (including all student-athletes, coaches, team support and other appropriate individuals)
• Immediate isolation of team members who are under investigation or diagnosed with COVID-19 followed by contact tracing, following CDC and local public health guidelines
• A transition period that allows student-athletes to gradually adapt to full training and sport activity following a period of inactivity

The SEC had previously prohibited any on-campus athletic activity through the end of May.  Approval to allow these supervised workouts also applies to men’s and women’s basketball team members.

The University of South Carolina recently announced its intention to re-open for the Fall semester, and this vote is another positive step towards ensuring that the Gamecocks take on Coastal Carolina on September 5th.