The NCAA has been forced to think on its feet with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this spring, the association made the difficult call to cancel the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, other winter championships and the remaining spring sports seasons to ensure the health and well-being of students, coaches, fans and staff.

Now, as the spring concludes and the summer approaches, the NCAA is formulating a strategy on how and when sports can return. At this time, there is no set date or timeline on a potential return, but the association does have a three-phase plan to return to college athletics.

Many colleges and universities have already stated that they plan to host on-campus classes by the fall — a key requirement in getting sports back during the 2020-21 academic year. However, that’s not the only circumstance that will allow athletics to continue on as normal.

Below is the three-phase process that the NCAA has released to get sports back. You can view the entire release from the NCAA here. 

The NCAA started by addressing the Core Principles of Resocialization of College Sport:

  1. There must not be directives at the national level that preclude resocialization.
  2. State and local authorities must have in place a plan for resocialization.
  3. There should be a plan in place at the university/college level for resocialization of students.
  4. There must be a plan in place at the university/college level for resocialization of student-athletes within athletics.
  5. There must be adequate personal protective equipment for athletics health care providers, and there must be sanitizers to manage infection control in all shared athletics space.
  6. There must be the ability to assess immunity to COVID-19 at a regional and local level.
  7. There must be access to reliable, rapid diagnostic testing on any individual who is suspected of having COVID-19 symptoms.
  8. There must be in place a local surveillance system so that newly identified cases can be identified promptly and isolated, and their close contacts must be managed appropriately.
  9. There must be clearly identified and transparent risk analyses in place.

Phase One

In accordance with the federal guidelines, resocialization of sport for Phase One assumes the following:

  • Gating criteria have been satisfied for a minimum of 14 days.
  • Vulnerable student-athletes, athletics health care providers, coaches and athletics personnel should continue to shelter in place.
  • Those living in dorms and other residences where vulnerable individuals reside should be aware that by returning to work or other environments where distancing is not practical, they could carry the virus back home, and appropriate isolating precautions should be taken.
  • Physical distancing should continue.
  • Gatherings of more than 10 people should be avoided unless precautionary measures of physical distancing and sanitization are in place.
  • Gyms and common areas where student-athletes and staff are likely to congregate and interact, should remain closed unless strict distancing and sanitation protocols can be implemented.
  • Virtual meetings should be encouraged whenever possible and feasible.
  • Nonessential travel should be minimized, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines regarding isolation after travel should be implemented.

Phase Two

In accordance with the federal guidelines, if Phase One has been implemented successfully, with no evidence of a rebound, and gating criteria have been satisfied for a minimum of 14 days since the implementation of Phase One:

  • Vulnerable individuals should continue to shelter in place.
  • Awareness and proper isolating practices related to vulnerable individuals in residences should continue.
  • Physical distancing should continue.
  • Gatherings of more than 50 people should be avoided unless precautionary measures of physical distancing and sanitization are in place.
  • Gyms and common areas where student-athletes and staff are likely to congregate and interact should remain closed, or appropriate distancing and sanitation protocols should be implemented.
  • Virtual meetings should continue to be encouraged whenever possible and feasible.
  • Nonessential travel may resume.

Phase Three:

In accordance with the federal guidelines, if Phase Two has been implemented successfully, with no evidence of a rebound, and gating criteria have been satisfied for a minimum of 14 days since the implementation of Phase Two:

  • Vulnerable student-athletes, athletics health care providers, coaches and athletics personnel can resume in-person interactions, but should practice physical distancing, minimizing exposure to settings where such distancing is not practical.
  • Gyms and common areas where student-athletes and staff are likely to congregate and interact can reopen if appropriate sanitation protocols are implemented, but even low-risk populations should consider minimizing time spent in crowded environments.
  • Unrestricted staffing may resume.