The University of Oklahoma will re-open its facilities for voluntary football workouts on July 1.
That is later than what will be allowed by the Big 12 Conference, which has given the green light to schools to re-open facilities on June 15. The Southeastern Conference and schools like Clemson and Ohio State will be open on June 8.
The Big 12 Board of Directors approved a “phase-in” plan, with sports staggering in at varying dates.
Beginning June 15, Big 12 football players will be permitted to access campus athletic facilities and support personnel for voluntary conditioning and training exercises. Volleyball, soccer and cross country — fall sports — will be allowed to return on July 1. All other Big 12 student-athletes (including men’s and women’s basketball) may return to campus for voluntary sport-related activities on July 15.
The NCAA said workouts and training could begin on June 1.
“As we have planned for the re-opening of our facilities, the health of our student-athletes and staff has been our top priority,” said OU Athletic Director Joe Castiglione. “It is the principal that has guided every step of our meticulous process. At OU, we are fortunate to have one of the most respected teams of doctors and athletic trainers in the country. We have looked to them for direction in our preparation and protocols. They will continue to play an important role in the weeks leading up to our opening and beyond.
“We believe in our approach and are convinced that it best positions our student-athletes and staff for long-term success. It is with great excitement that we look forward to their return in preparation for the upcoming sports seasons.”
OU athletes will be evaluated by the medical staff when they return to campus. The monitoring will be continuous and there are set guidelines and protocol.
“Our priority is precaution while making preparations in what are very fluid circumstances” said OU Head Athletic Trainer Scott Anderson.
OU football coach Lincoln Riley favors a cautious approach.
“As I have stated before, we are going to approach this return with extreme care,” said Riley. “We have received tremendous guidance from highly respected medical professionals, and we will follow their recommendations. We understand that the well-being of our student-athletes is at the top of our responsibilities. That’s why we will be diligent in how we manage everything from the way we relate to each other to the cleaning of our facilities and beyond.
“Our medical personnel have told us that the safest thing we can do is keep our players off campus for as long as possible. We chose the latest point that we could bring them back and still have enough time to prepare.”
OU Athletics’ medicine staff has talked with OU Health Sciences Center, Norman campus student health, independent in-state and out-of-state infectious disease and public health specialists in deciding on the return of athletes to campus.
Specialized education on how to use the facility and how to interact with other people will be available. OU is increasing its cleaning and safety conduct policies.
“We have been planning for this in some form since we left campus March 13,” Anderson said. “We are fortunate to have a number of outstanding physicians working with us on a regular basis, and we also have the guidance of the OU Health Sciences Center.”
In this plan, other athletes will return later this summer in a phased approach.
“The best approach is to bring the student-athletes back in phases so that we can adequately prepare for them and offer the best possible care,” Castiglione said. “We want to make sure that our staff can focus on each returning group appropriately and thoroughly.”
No other tentative dates for return have been set.
What if an athlete tests positive for COVID-19?
For an initial exam, a campus location has been set up where someone can be examined for the virus. A campus housing facility has been set aside to shelter and quarantine any student who tests positive. Any student-athlete who tests positive will receive care through the full resources of the OU medical staff.
Most OU Athletics staff members will continue to work from home. Staff members who are essential to accommodating student-athletes and operations will be on site. They will be subject to initial screening and clearance with the on-campus Goddard Health Center before they return to work and will be subject to the same daily screening as our student-athletes.
All facilities have been disinfected in preparation for return. Targeted cleaning and sanitization will be in place for all facilities that are used. Staff members are also being provided with self-clean kits for their office space and signage to notify cleaning staff any time a space has been used.
In addition to custodial services, fogging and spraying applications have been and will continue to be included in the protocols. The locker room will have specific procedures; the adjacent lounge has been closed. Special detergents have been acquired to thoroughly disinfect all workout clothing.
All individuals will wear masks provided by the athletics department and comply with social distancing rules. Special procedures are in place for elevator, staircase, restroom, meeting room and office use in addition to the workout facilities. All interior doors will remain open to reduce touch points. Hand sanitizer dispensers have been added in multiple locations throughout the facilities.
Initially, workout groups will include 10 or fewer participants who will work in open or partially open-air environments whenever possible. Social distancing will be enforced. Staff and student-athletes will be screened prior to being allowed to access the facility at one single controlled point of entry. Cameras will assist in the monitoring and enforcement of this required protocol. Surfaces and equipment will be cleaned prior to and after each use.
Oklahoma has not announced any plans for changes in the football schedule or for ticketing. The Sooners are scheduled to play nonconference home games against Missouri State and Tennessee and a road game versus Army.