Report: NCAA approves voluntary on-campus workouts for football, basketball
TAMPA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 01: Mohamed Ibrahim #24 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers rushes during the 2020 Outback Bowl against the Auburn Tigers at Raymond James Stadium on January 01, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota and other colleges across the country could have voluntary workouts in football and basketball on campus as early as June 1, according to a Yahoo Sports report released Wednesday.
According to Pete Thamel, the NCAA Division I Council voted to approve voluntary athletic activities in football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball from June 1 to June 30. The NCAA had a previous moratorium on activities until May 31. Decisions on workouts for other sports are expected to be made soon.
Plenty of questions still remain as the NCAA continues to work through the Coronavirus pandemic and will have to make decisions for fall sports soon.
Locally, the Gophers football team got one week of spring practice in before the NCAA canceled all spring sports due to Covid-19. Minnesota is coming off an 11-2 season, its best in 115 years, and a win over Auburn in the Outback Bowl.
The Gophers men’s basketball team beat Northwestern in the Big Ten Tournament, but never got the chance to face Iowa the following day after the league tournament was canceled back on March 13.
Athletic Director Mark Coyle announced last week that he and the department’s five highest-paid coaches, P.J. Fleck (football), Richard Pitino (men’s basketball), Lindsay Whalen (women’s basketball), Bob Motzko (men’s hockey) and Hugh McCutcheon (volleyball) are taking a 10 percent pay cut for six months at the start of fiscal year 2021, which is July 1, as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to bring financial hardships.
June is typically the time of year athletes in football and basketball arrive to campus for summer workouts and the start of school.