STrib: Gopher Athlete's Return to Campus Date Not Yet Determined

[Ignatius L Hoops]

NCAA approves return to campus for voluntary activities on June 1, but Gophers might wait longer

Some schools to return to their campuses as soon as June 1.

www.startribune.com

The NCAA voted Wednesday to allow football, and men’s and women’s basketball teams to return to campuses for voluntary activities starting June 1, but the Gophers and other teams might wait longer.

Individual schools will have to work within state government guidelines and overall campus policies to determine when and how to return safely.

“A return to campus date has not yet been determined for our student-athletes, but we will follow plans developed by President Joan Gabel and her leadership team to thoughtfully and carefully resume University operations, including ours in Gopher Athletics,” Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle said in a statement. “We will work closely with our campus leadership and take action based on guidance from state and public health officials, and the University’s own medical and public health experts.”

Under Minnesota’s current Stay Safe MN plan, gyms would not be open as of June 1, though the state government will allow outdoor activities and gatherings of 10 or fewer people. The university has canceled all in-person classes through the summer.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Decision on University of Minnesota's fall semester expected in early June

It's still unclear if students will head back to University of Minnesota campuses this fall ...

kstp.com

From yesterday's Town Hall with Joan Gabel:

It is still unclear if students will head back to University of Minnesota campuses this fall. President Joan Gabel and other leaders held a virtual town hall on Wednesday to discuss the possibilities with students and faculty.

“We know and take very seriously how these decisions affect your lives,” said Gabel.

An advisory team has been working since April to develop different scenarios, ranging from relaxed social distancing to the possibility that a 'stay at home' order is still in place.

“For each of these scenarios, we’re developing recommendations specific to classroom utilization, labs and studios, housing and dining, student affairs and outreach and engagement,” said Provost Rachel Croson.

....

Gabel is expected to make a decision in early June. She said the university community will need to remain flexible over the next few months.

“If there’s another outbreak, if there’s a surge, if there are advances in the science and medical care and technology, all of those things could make anything we’re talking about evolve,” said Gabel.

Some faculty and researchers have been able to return to campus under the Sunrise Plan. University officials said during the town hall that about 1,000 applications have been approved for those who need to return to campus to work in labs, studios or other facilities.

 

[MplsGopher]

It's not at all unclear, behind closed doors.

Colleges and universities know this is a matter of survival. Most families aren't going to fork over big $$$ for an online-only experience. It's the college experience, largely social and in-person, that people pay top dollar for.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

https://www.daily-chronicle.com/2020/05/22/university-of-illinois-announces-plans-for-student-athletes-to-return-to-campus-june-3/ai7hq0u/

The Illinois plan:

The state’s flagship, Big Ten university will bring student-athletes back to the Urbana-Champaign campus for voluntary summer training beginning June 3.


Student-athletes will stagger their arrivals, according to a plan released Friday by the university’s Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. It follows a timeline recently announced by the NCAA, which allows voluntary workouts to resume on campuses June 1. Illinois said its plans mirror those of other Big Ten universities.

The plan includes “robust testing” and initial periods of quarantine. Football and men’s basketball players will arrive first over a series of days in early June.

The first workouts in football and men’s basketball will likely occur in the second or third week of June. There will be symptom checks and entry screenings at facilities, certain procedures for locker rooms, showers and laundry, guidance on groups sizes, and rules regarding equipment usage and cleaning.

According to the NCAA, all football and basketball workouts in June must be voluntary. The Illinois athletic department said it will stand by student-athletes who decline to participate, and will provide contact information for campus resources should anyone feel pressured to participate by coaches.

“[The athletic department] recognizes that the University has made no official decisions about a return to in-person instruction for the fall,” it said in a statement. “Similarly, no final decisions have been forthcoming regarding fall sports. Nonetheless, in anticipation that both school and sports, in some form or fashion, will occur in the fall, the early return of student-athletes to campus is necessary to provide them the opportunity to regain acceptable physical condition prior to engaging in competition. While away, most of them have lacked access to the facilities, equipment, and coaching needed to maintain their physical readiness for the rigors of high-major Division I athletics.”

Illinois' plan was created in collaboration with the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, Carle physicians, McKinley Health Center, SHIELD (the university’s committee tasked with developing testing protocols) and the Big Ten.