UCF Football and Covid

The UCF Knights football team will start on campus practice tomorrow, with some concerns.

IRVING, Texas – The American Athletic Conference Board of Directors has announced the conference's plan and timeline for the start of athletics competition for the Fall 2020 season.
 
Approval was unanimous after consultation with the conference's COVID-19 Medical Advisory Group, athletic directors and senior woman administrators.
 
The plan calls for regular-season intraconference competition in football, men's soccer, women's soccer and women's volleyball, capped by conference championship events in those sports, as well as men's and women's cross country. The American's 12 member schools will be able to schedule nonconference competitions in fall sports at their discretion, but under the guidelines and protocols set by the Medical Advisory Group. The number of qualifying teams for conference championships in men's soccer, women's soccer and women's volleyball has been reduced to four. 
 
"With the guidance of the health experts on the COVID-19 Medical Advisory Board and through the diligent work of the athletics staffs at our schools and at the conference, we have a sensible direction for the return of intercollegiate athletics in the fall, said M. David Rudd, president of the University of Memphis and chair of The American's Board of Directors. "The safety of our students, staff members and campus communities will continue to be our top priority. We are confident that the protocols put together by our Medical Advisory Group will guide a safe return to play. As medical information evolves, we will update our plans in conjunction with national, state and local guidelines."
 
"The health and safety of our student-athletes is our top priority as we face the challenges of the current global pandemic," said American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco. "With the guidance and advice of our Medical Advisory Group, which has done an outstanding job developing health and safety protocols, we have developed a collaborative and comprehensive plan that will allow us safely and reasonably to play our fall sports. Our plan provides us with the flexibility to adapt to potential disruptions to our schedules. I want to thank our board of directors, our Medical Advisory Group, athletic directors, senior woman administrators and conference office staff for their thoughtful input and approach to what is one of the most challenging situations we will face."
 
 
FOOTBALL
In football, the plan calls for conference competition to begin Sept. 19 and for each of The American's teams to play eight conference games on their originally scheduled dates. Nonconference games may be played at the discretion of the individual schools, with the understanding that the opponents will strictly adhere to protocols and standards for testing, pregame, in-game and postgame operations set by The American's Medical Advisory Group. Depending on the need to potentially reschedule regular-season games, The American Football Championship will be played on either Dec. 5, 12 or 19 at the stadium of the regular-season champion. A decision regarding the date of the championship game will be made no earlier than Nov. 1.

Practice for the Knights is set to kick-off Sunday, August 9……lets hope everyone stays in their own “Bubble” as best they can, including the football fans on campus. The MAC Conference cancelled all games in all sports for the rest of the year, hoping to kick off their football season in Spring of 2021……..

Lets hope we get to see more of her this fall. (Photo: Alex Menendez)