USC to begin on-campus voluntary workouts Wednesday
USC student-athletes will begin a phased return to campus for voluntary workouts beginning Wednesday, June 24, the school announced today.
Student-athletes participating in football, women's soccer, women's volleyball, men's water polo, men's basketball and women's basketball will be included in the initial phases.
According to a release from the school: "In partnership with USC's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sarah Van Orman and Director of Sports Medicine Dr. John Brodhead, USC developed a comprehensive health and safety plan that is compliant with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and approved by university administration. The plan follows NCAA and Pac-12 Conference recommendations and guidelines."
Phase One will include returning local athletes living within approximately one hour of campus, as no on-campus housing will be available during this phase. The target goal for Phase Two is July 6, when on-campus housing facilities are scheduled to open and non-local participants in those six sports may participate in on-campus voluntary workouts.
The target goal for Phase Three--when new and incoming student-athletes in those sports may join--is July 13.
Earlier this month, the NCAA announced that July 13 is the first day allowable for required football activities.
All USC student-athletes will participate in a COVID-19 health and safety protocol information session, complete the TrojanLearn training module, sign a risk and shared responsibility acknowledgement form, pass their annual pre-participation physical and undergo COVID-19 testing.
All USC student-athletes will be tested weekly.
"We approached this process with extreme patience, prudence, and the utmost regard for the health and safety of our student-athletes, taking time to learn from the experiences of our peers to refine our plans and processes. We worked diligently to develop a comprehensive plan that enables our student-athletes to voluntarily return to USC to participate in workouts should they choose to do so," said USC athletic director Mike Bohn in the school's statement. "After a devastating few months, we are thrilled for them that they will be able to come to back to campus to do what they love and continue their preparation for their upcoming seasons. With this return, we will continue to follow and adapt to all federal, state, county and university regulations, as well as recommendations from the NCAA, Pac-12 and USC Athletics' medical director.
