The Gamecocks are one step closer to playing football this fall.
The SEC officially announced Friday universities can begin voluntary in-person workouts starting June 8, which is a positive step in the right direction of fall sports being played after the Coronavirus shut things down for a few months.
"Based on the decision today by the Southeastern Conference Presidents and Chancellors, the University of South Carolina will be ready to host football student-athletes on campus for voluntary workouts on June 8," University of South Carolina Athletics Director Ray Tanner said in a statement.
"They will be on campus several days before to get tested for the COVID-19 virus. We are excited to have our student-athletes back on campus. Their health, safety and well-being are our number one priority. Our staff and medical team have developed a thorough set of protocols that exceed CDC guidelines and will help our student-athletes through the transition back to campus."
June is considered to be a transition period to allow players to gradually get bak to a full training schedule after being away from a specific regiment since in-person classes were canceled in mid-March.
Voluntary activities will be supervised by the strenght and conditioning staff adn they'll be allowed to participate in safe, controlled environments while maintaining social distance protocols developed by South Carolina.
"I am pleased that we will bring our student-athletes back to campus on June 8 for conditioning and I have confidence in our Department of Athletics to follow public health protocols to mitigate risk to our athletes, coaches and training staff," UofSC President Bob Caslen in a statement. "This is another step toward the phased reopening of our campus and another sign that we are ready to get back to the business of educating our next generation of leaders."
The NCAA announced this week football, men's basketball and women's basketball student athletes can come back on campus.
Right now football is back on campus with the offensive staff working in the morning and the defensive staff coming in for the afternoons.
