No preseason camp until more testing protocols put in place, Big Ten says

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said last week that he didn't feel completely comfortable with safety protocol for college football's Aug. 7 preseason practice start date, and it appears the Big Ten feels the same.

In a letter from the conference to its member university athletic directors obtained by The Plain Dealer, the Big Ten said that preseason camp won't begin as scheduled until policies for health and safety are ironed out.

"We will not, and cannot, proceed with preseason camp until we are certain that we can do so safely and that will depend, in part, on testing," the letter reads. "Once we have everything in place to execute our testing protocols effectively, including the appropriate number of tests secured for all fall sports, we can make a decision as to whether preseason camp will begin as currently scheduled."

The letter, dated July 30, said the Big Ten will level a decision about preseason camp within five days.

Conference-wide safety protocols are expected to be released by the Big Ten this next week as well, after they are finalized by the Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases with advice from the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee. These policies will include standardized testing requirements, according to the letter.

The conference announced on July 9 that the nonconference portion of its fall sports seasons would be canceled, and the letter said revised schedules are expected to be released in August.

The letter also reiterated that fall sports in 2020 are optional, and that student-athletes that choose not to participate will keep their scholarships and remain in good standing with their team.

"Other important decisions, such as future eligibility or team financial aid limits, will be addressed at a later date. We cannot emphasize enough that participation at any time throughout the 2020 season is voluntary," the letter reads.

Preseason walkthroughs began for Ohio State football on July 24, ahead of the start date for preseason practice on Aug. 7.

The Buckeyes returned for voluntary workouts at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on June 8, but the university briefly shut down athletic activities on campus due to an unspecified number of positive COVID-19 tests among student-athletes on July 8. By July 14 though, Ohio State announced that workouts were set to resume.

Read the entire document here.