NCAA's Coronavirus Guidelines also a Final Warning: Fall College Football Season is on the Brink

The Best of Sports Illustrated includes the harsh reality regarding the chances of college football having a season this fall

On Thursday afternoon the NCAA Sport Science Institute released the Resocialization of Collegiate Sport: Developing Standards for Practice and Competition, providing guidelines for how schools should try and return to sports during the coronavirus pandemic. 

That part you probably heard about, especially after Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger broke the story that the Power 5 conferences are drafting a medical document to add uniformity to coronavirus testing protocols and response procedures. 

The document is not yet finalized but is a guideline on how things will be handled if a college football player tests positive for COVID-19.

More on that in a moment. 

With its release, the NCAA made it very clear just how close we are to not having football this fall. 

“Any recommendation on a pathway toward a safe return to sport will depend on the national trajectory of COVID-19 spread,” said Brian Hainline, NCAA chief medical officer. “The idea of sport resocialization is predicated on a scenario of reduced or flattened infection rates.”

The chart was used to illustrate the point, and demonstrate how dramatic of a turnaround is immediately needed. 

NCAA

“When we made the extremely difficult decision to cancel last spring’s championships it was because there was simply no way to conduct them safely,” said NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a statement. “This document lays out the advice of health care professionals as to how to resume college sports if we can achieve an environment where COVID-19 rates are manageable. Today, sadly, the data point in the wrong direction. If there is to be college sports in the fall, we need to get a much better handle on the pandemic.”

That's not just a reality check, that's a warning. 

But if even things do suddenly improve against the coronavirus, which will be difficult given that each state is acting independently of each other, there's hardly any guarantee that any team will be able to get through a season regardless of how many games it plays.

The uniform COVID-19 testing guidelines would include once-a-week testing, 10-day isolation for positives. If they are exposed to someone who has tested positive, that number is even higher—a full two weeks.

SI's Pat Forde notes passed along the specifics: “When an athlete tests positive for COVID-19, local public health officials must be notified, and contact tracing protocols must be put in place. All individuals with a high risk of exposure should be placed in quarantine for 14 days as per CDC guidance. This includes members of opposing teams after competition. The difficulty is defining individuals with a high risk of exposure, and in some cases, this could mean an entire team (or teams).”

So if say Alabama plays Texas A&M on Nov. 21, and the Aggies running back tests positive after the game, the entire Crimson Tide defense could be quarantined not only for the Auburn game the next week, but possibly the subsequent SEC Championship as well.  

U.S. Against the World 

Football isn't a part of the World Games, but the first edition on American Soil since 1981 will have a version of it. The World Games 2022 Birmingham, in partnership with the International World Games Association (IWGA), National Football League (NFL), and International Federation of American Football (IFAF) announced this week that flag football will join the existing lineup of 32 sports. 

Hosted at Birmingham’s historic Legion Field, the competition will feature eight men’s teams and eight women’s teams from around the world. As the current reigning world champions, the United States men’s and women’s teams both pre-qualify for The World Games 2022. The remaining teams will be selected through the IFAF qualifying process.

Flag football joins wheelchair rugby, lacrosse and duathlon as the fourth invitational sport for The World Games 2022. In addition to the official sports selected by the IWGA, the host city has the opportunity to select up to five invitational sports to include in its sports program.

“Football is a staple of Southern sports and will be a welcome addition to The 2022 World Games lineup,” Birmingham mayor Randall Woodfin said in a release. “Non-contact sports like flag football are a great way to open up competition to all skill levels. That type of accessibility and inclusion is what The World Games is all about, providing incredible experiences and lasting memories for participants and spectators to enjoy. Birmingham can’t wait for the world to join us in 2022.”

The World Games 2022 Birmingham will take place July 7-17, 2022, and will generate an estimated $256 million in economic impact.

Did you notice?

• Edmonton, which is two weeks away from holding exhibition NFL games, was rocked by severe thunderstorms that left the entrance to the Oilers’ arena completely flooded. The Oilers are still assessing the extent of the damage but say it shouldn’t keep them from hosting games.

• Chris Mannix has an update on what life is like for him inside the NBA bubble.

• The much-hyped Washington Post story about Dan Snyder’s football team detailed sexual harassment allegations from 15 women. ... Zion Williamson has left the NBA bubble due to a family emergency but expects to be able to play when games start.

The lighter side ...

• Aaron Rodgers and Danica Patrick have broken up after over two years together.

• 38-year-old Adebayo Akinfenwa, who we mentioned earlier this week , has signed a new contract to stay with his team and play at his highest level ever. 

• What's the problem with this? There have never been this many people smiling at a Mets game

The Mets' fan cutouts are being installed at Citi Field in preparation for Opening Day. (📸 @Mets) pic.twitter.com/FB81Ix0QY8

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) July 16, 2020

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