NCAA: Voluntary activities for football, basketball can resume June 1st

As COVID-19 has ripped through the United States and shuttered academic institutions around the country, college sports fans have a glimmer of hope that things might be back to as close to normal as possible this fall. The NCAA Division I council reportedly approved campus activities for football and basketball players (men’s and women’s) beginning June 1st during a meeting today but those activities must be offered on a voluntary basis only and adhere to all local health guidelines.

The council, according to numerous reports, is also expected to make a decision on other sports at a later date but likely before the end of the month.

This is a big step in the direction of some normalcy returning to college campuses this fall, athletically speaking anyway. WSU’s president, Dr. Kirk Schulz, said in an interview last week he does expect football to be played in Pullman, though reiterated that it might be in a mostly or completely empty Martin Stadium. The linchpin, for the Pac-12 at least, is the California schools but it appears they intend to at least have some students on campus this fall as of now, clearing the way for sports to played in line with previous guidance from the NCAA, which indicated students would need to be able to be on campus. California Governor Gavin Newsom also said earlier this week professional sports could resume in the state as early as June without crowds in attendance.

The NCAA’s decision today is a step in the right direction if you’re looking for sports to be played this fall. We’ve obviously got a very, very long way to go but things look good, for now, for the Washington State Cougars to be on the field this fall.