TUCSON, Arizona — Arizona Athletics plans to compete in the fall, and it has unveiled a plan to do so.
It involves testing, treating and tracing, as well as bringing student-athletes back to campus in four phases.
In phase one, 20 football players will return on June 15th for voluntary workouts. There will be facial coverings, 15 feet of separation, and no shared space. The other phases don’t have timetables.
In phase two, groups of ten or fewer will begin to use the weight room and equipment. And in phase three, groups can be larger than ten people with the use of locker rooms and meeting rooms. And finally in phase four, there is a decrease of physical distancing with the use of balls. Other fall sports besides football are included.
“The number one goal is the health and safety of our student athletes," said Dr. Stephen Paul, a physician at the Campus Health Services. "And the other big thing is that this is extremely fluid and flexible. What you see today, depending upon consultations with the experts, could change tomorrow."
There will be daily wellness checks and weekly coronavirus testing. If someone tests positive for COVID-19, they will go into quarantine.
And, it’s too soon to say if any fans will be at Arizona Stadium for games in the fall.
"We have not established a capacity," said athletic director Dave Heeke. "We're not at a point to do that. We're definitely studying what we can, how we would to it, and the type of protocols and guidelines that would be in place."
