There had been a lot of hope, but, up until today, uncertainty about when athletics would resume on campus in Chapel Hill due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this morning, though, Tar Heel athletic director Bubba Cunningham released the official roadmap to the return of athletics to the campus.
Here is the official timeline that was released by Cunningham on Friday morning:
June 1 — Facilities staff members
June 8 — Sports Medicine staff
June 12 — Coaching staffs for Football, Men's Basketball, and Women's Basketball
June 12-July 1 — Football student-athletes, in four separate groups (June 12, 19, 26, 29)
June 15 — Strength and Conditioning, Equipment and Administration staff members
June 22 — Coaching staffs for Field Hockey, Volleyball, Men's and Women's Soccer and Cross Country
July 6 — Men's and Women's Basketball student-athletes
July 13 — Field Hockey, Volleyball, Men's and Women's Soccer and Cross Country student-athletes
August 3 — Coaches and student-athletes from the remainder of our teams, and remaining department staff members
Cunningham also had this to say about how these groups of athletes will be housed and tested when they do return to campus:
All student-athletes from Football, Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Field Hockey, Volleyball, Men’s and Women’s Soccer and Cross Country, as well as members of those sports staffs, will be tested for COVID-19 at least twice – once when they arrive, and again 7-8 days later. As part of our safety precautions, team members will be housed together, and will be instructed to follow strict guidelines for social distancing and standards in and outside of our facilities We will continue to evaluate testing and safety protocols for the Winter and Spring teams scheduled to return at the same time as the student body.
The Tar Heel football season is currently scheduled to begin on September 4th down in Orlando, where the Tar Heels will take on the Central Florida Knights. The Tar Heel basketball season is currently scheduled to tip off on November 13th at home against the College of Charleston.
For the full release from Bubba Cunningham, head to GoHeels.com. Stick with the Heel Tough Blog for all of the latest on the roadmap to the return of Carolina Athletics. Heel Tough Blog: Roadmap in Place for Return of Athletics