There’s a very good probability that many Tiger fans are feeling better about the chances of seeing Clemson play football in 2020. Especially after getting all of the positive news that’s come out of Tigertown and now the NCAA this week.
Last week, the Division I Football Oversight Committee submitted their proposal for summer athletic activities and preseason practices for the 2020 football season. On Wednesday, the NCAA made a decision on the request proposed by the committee.
JUST IN: The NCAA approved a football preseason model, giving a preseason practice start date of August 7th.https://t.co/XzP6ApKR0d pic.twitter.com/0dJakBOqBd
— 247Sports (@247Sports) June 17, 2020
The Division I Council approved the preseason model for college football. What does this mean for college athletics? That summer access activities will begin July 13th. Then meetings and walk throughs will be allowed to start on July 24th and preseason practices can begin as early as August 7th.
The NCAA is accepting this model in hopes that September 5th will be the first game of the 2020 season.
The model looks like this:
Summer access activities:
Student athletes may be required to participate in up to eight hours of weight training, conditioning and film review per week (not more than two hours of film review per week) from July 13th-23rd.
Meetings and walk throughs:
From July 24th-August 6th student athletes may be required to participate in up to 20 hours of countable athletically related activities per week (not more than four hours per day) as follows:
- Up to eight hours per week for weight training and conditioning.
- Up to six hours per week for walk throughs which may include the use of a football.
- Up to six hours per week for meetings which may include film review, team meetings, position meetings, one-on-one meetings, etc.
During this 14-day period, student athletes are required to get at least two days off.
Preseason practices:
School’s preseason practice period would be allowed to start on the original projected date of August 7th and would allow for a five day acclimatization period, followed by the opportunity for up to 25 on field practices.
Shane Lyons, the chair of the committee and director of athletics at West Virginia, was asked about the model last week.
“This is the culmination of a significant amount of collaboration in our effort to find the best solution for Division I football institutions,” Lyons said, “Our student athletes, conference commissioners, coaches and health and safety professionals helped mold the model we are proposing.”
“Given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic across the country, we believe this model provides institutions and their student-athletes flexibility to prepare for the upcoming season,” Lyons said.
Up next there’s a good possibility that the NCAA will be looking into whether or not fans will be allowed to attend games and, if so, what percentage of fans will it be. Not every state is on board for fans being in the stands and all eyes will be on the NCAA the longer this decision lingers.
Clemson Athletic Director Dan Radakovich has also recently spoken on the attendance and Clemson’s move towards mobile ticketing as they prepare for the upcoming season. He even went as far as to say what he is expecting in reference to fans in Death Valley as the season gets closer.
“At this point, on June 15th, we’re moving down the path of having fans in for our home games,” Radakovich said.
There is no guarantee that there will be a season or what it will look like but it is nice to see more optimism. Especially as Tiger fans learn to live in the new norm.
