SEC delays football practice schedule giving teams more time

Published 10:56 pm Tuesday, August 4, 2020

The Southeastern Conference pushed back the start of their 2020 college football season last week and on Tuesday pushed back the date when fall camp can begin.

Ole Miss and the rest of the SEC can now begin fall camp on Aug. 17, delaying the start by 10 days. Fall camps were originally scheduled to begin on Aug. 7, with the intention of the regular season beginning the weekend of Sept. 5.

The new preseason calendar was developed based on recommendations of the SEC’s Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force, according to the league.

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“The new SEC calendar provides student-athletes with more days off than required by the NCAA and fewer practices than permitted by current NCAA rules,” The SEC’s release read.

The 2020 SEC football regular season is now starting on Sept. 26, giving teams five weeks of fall camp, leading up to Week 1 on Sept. 21.

In the revised SEC preseason football calendar, teams are permitted to conduct up to 14 hours per week of strength and conditioning, meetings and walk-throughs from Aug. 7 – 16.

Starting on Aug. 17 and leading up to the first game on Sept. 26, teams are allowed 25 practices with a limit of 20 hours per week of practice time. A five-day acclimatization period is required, with two days in helmets only, two days in shells and the fifth day in full pads.

Schools will be required to provide student-athletes a minimum of two days off each week until the first week leading up to the season opener.