The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE NCAA Division I Council has outlined the projected timeline for a return to action for both men’s and women’s basketball programmes.

Following Wednesday’s conference call, the council announced plans based off the recommendations from the oversight committees, a move that will affect several Bahamian players and coaches at the Division I level.

Under the current rule, voluntary athletics activities and up to eight hours of virtual non-physical activities are extended for another month through July 19.

Beginning July 20, summer athletics activities may begin and can last up to eight weeks or until the school’s first day of classes or September 15, however, virtual and in-person activities cannot exceed a combined eight hours per week.

The oversight committees recommended that the list of summer athletics activities also includes “enhanced in-person nonphysical activities,” which include team meetings, individual meetings and film review. Those activities can also include on-court practices, though skill instruction cannot exceed four hours per week and the total amount of work (including weight training and conditioning) cannot exceed eight.

“The Council worked to balance the desire to get student-athletes training again with the need to re-populate our campuses and athletics facilities gradually and safely, within all campus, local and state mandates,” said Council chair M Grace Calhoun, athletics director at Penn. “Student-athlete health and safety should remain a top priority.”

These activities will be regulated based on COVID-19 regulations and preventative measures. State regulations will also determine access to facilities, group size and other restrictions.

A decision on changes to the recruiting calendars will be decided in short in the coming weeks.

According to ESPN: “The proposed changes to the fall recruiting calendar would include live evaluation periods added to August and September since the live periods in April, June and July were cancelled.

The weekends of August 15-16 and September 5-7 were proposed for non-scholastic events, and August 22-23 and September 19-20 for scholastic events.

Only two members of each staff will be allowed on the road.