NCAA Approves Plan for Basketball Players to Access Coaches

The NCAA Division I Council on Wednesday approved a plan to allow college basketball players to start working with their coaches for the first time since the pandemic wiped out March Madness.

The summer access period for men’s and women’s players will begin July 20. The NCAA basketball tournaments were canceled days before the fields were scheduled to be selected because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The NCAA also announced the expected approval by the council of an extended preseason model for football teams that was finalized by that sport’s oversight committee last week.

Required activities for both men’s and women’s teams can begin July 20 and last up to eight weeks until Sept. 15 or the first day of classes, whichever comes first. Those activities include weight training, conditioning, and skills instruction with coaches supervising for up to eight hours per week. Skills instruction cannot exceed four hours per week and no days off are required.

In men’s basketball, the recruiting proposal called for tournaments and scouting events usually held in April, June, and July to be held in August, with coaches permitted to attend. Off-campus and in-person recruiting for coaches would begin in September.

On the women’s side, the recruiting proposal called for an evaluation period to be created from Aug. 15-Sept. 8 and for the fall contact period from Sept. 9-29 to be converted into an evaluation period.

As for the current players, on Sept. 15 or the first day of classes, whichever comes first, the team can transition to out-of-season workouts, similar to summer access but two days off per week are required.

Full preseason practice can start 42 days before a school’s first regular-season game.