NCAA OKs football walk-throughs in July, but will Fresno State be back on campus?

The NCAA Division I Football Oversight Committee finalized a summer practice plan on Thursday that includes two 20-hour weeks in July leading up to the start of fall camp, a welcome addition for Fresno State and other programs that did not have a spring practice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In those two weeks the Bulldogs will be able to hold walk-throughs (no helmets or pads) and team and position meetings, as well as weight training and conditioning.

But will Fresno State, which has yet to announce plans to get student-athletes back on campus, have its players on the field to take advantage of that extra time?

Athletics director Terry Tumey said he is optimistic the Bulldogs will get a green light soon from the California State University system to bring student-athletes back to campus.

“I can’t say for sure, but I would hope by the end of the month we would have some indication as to what direction we’re going,” Tumey said.

Fresno State will have protocols in place when student-athletes do return to campus starting, like most schools, with a period of isolation or quarantine, testing for COVID-19 as well as full physical examinations prior to taking part in any voluntary or required team activities.

Other schools’ athletes already back

Many athletic departments across the country and the Mountain West Conference have student-athletes in fall sports back on campus for voluntary workouts.

Wyoming was among the first, announcing it would bring football and basketball players back on June 1, shortly after the NCAA lifted a moratorium on on-campus athletic activities.

Boise State on Monday started bringing football and women’s soccer players back with a second wave to return June 15, after passing a coronavirus screening and physical examination. Colorado State and UNLV on Monday also had a limited number of student-athletes returning for voluntary workouts in fall sports.

Nevada this weekend is bringing its first group of football and basketball players back to campus for voluntary workouts.

The Wolf Pack, like Fresno State, had no spring football practices.

That makes those additional two weeks of walk-throughs, and being allowed to use a football in them, more valuable.

DeBoer: ‘We’ll be ready to go’

“We’ll take whatever we can get, now we just need to get the go-ahead to get everyone on campus and get going,” Bulldogs coach Kalen DeBoer said. “I know everyone is working really hard to get the plan exactly how it needs to be and I think the timing is a big part of it, as well. But we’ll be ready to go, I can promise you that.”

The Bulldogs have many key pieces to replace from an injury-plagued team that ended 2019 on a four-game losing streak and with a 4-8 record.

Before campus was shuttered due to the coronavirus, DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb had set up spring practices so that redshirt sophomore Ben Wooldridge and Washington transfer Jake Haener, a fourth-year junior, could compete at quarterback to replace departed senior starter Jorge Reyna. Other key offensive players who ended their Bulldogs careers after last season are tight end Jared Rice, offensive lineman Netane Muti and running back Josh Hokit.

The Bulldogs also are installing a new 4-2-5 defense under coordinator William Inge and have a lot of production to replace on that side of the football, losing linebacker Mykal Walker, safety Juju Hughes, cornerback Jaron Bryant and large pieces in the interior line in defensive tackles Keiti Iakopo and Ricky McCoy.

Walker was a fourth-round selection in the NFL Draft (119th overall), going to the Atlanta Falcons. Muti, who missed the last nine games with a foot injury, was the sixth-round pick of the Denver Broncos (181st overall).

Under the plan approved by the NCAA Division I Football Oversight Committee, the Bulldogs players and staff could start a summer period on July 13 that includes six hours of training with the strength and conditioning staff and two hours of film review with coaches.

That would be bumped up on July 24 to 20 hours per week of walk-throughs and meetings, as well as weight training, conditioning and film review leading into fall camp.

The plan is expected to be approved on Tuesday by the NCAA Division I Council.

Fresno State is scheduled to open fall camp on Aug. 7 and the season on Sept. 5 at home against Idaho State, which is coming off a 3-9 season and was ranked 12th of 13 in the Big Sky Conference in scoring offense and 10th in scoring defense.