A peek into the new normal for Fresno State football during COVID-19 pandemic

Fresno State does not know when it will be able to bring its football players and other fall and winter sport student-athletes back to campus. It’s still waiting for word from the California State University system and state officials to move forward, and it could be a while. But even then, the best plans at any point are subject to change.

There obviously will be testing, a quarantine period, health screenings, face coverings and proper social distancing as part of a return.

But the Bulldogs also have worked through a number of adjustments to try to keep their student-athletes safe as they prepare for a potential 2020 football season through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re working with a lot of things,” said Ron McKeefery, the Bulldogs’ assistant athletics director for sports performance.

“Obviously, COVID-19. Then we’re talking about an accelerated timeline in terms of training. We’re talking about all of the restrictions and recommendations from the city and the state, the county.”

Roommates stick together

One change that likely will be in place – rather than go through a conditioning run or a weight training session as an offense or defense or with a position group the Bulldogs will lift as households. Roomies only. It might lengthen the day for the strength and conditioning staff, but by keeping the groups small it also limits the chances of one player potentially spreading the coronavirus through a position room.

Fresno State, department sources said, also has plans to spread out, using the grass practice field and Bulldog Stadium for groups on conditioning runs.

There are likely to be multiple areas for position meetings and the Bulldogs still will use Zoom and other apps for team meetings and larger gatherings.

The Bulldogs’ weight room is on the small side considering there are 21 sports programs on campus, so Fresno State has looked into moving some equipment outside under a tent to increase space as well as flow around the training stations and expand on local social distancing guidelines.

“You start looking at all the different recommendations from the NCAA task force and safeguards committee, from strength and conditioning organizations,” McKeefery said.

“You start piecing it together. There’s nothing that’s going to be zero risk, but in terms of what we’re doing I think we’re providing the very best environment that we can.”

Timeline

The NCAA allowed schools to bring student-athletes back to campus for voluntary workouts on June 1, and several have had to suspend those workouts due to positive coronavirus tests.

That and the surge of positive COVID-19 cases in counties across the state could play into the delay for the Bulldogs, San Diego State and San Jose State, the three CSU schools in the Mountain West Conference.

The majority of Mountain West programs have started, though Boise State and UNLV have suspended workouts due to positive COVID-19 tests. In the Pac-12, Cal and UCLA announced plans to bring student-athletes back to campus to prepare for voluntary workouts on June 17 and on June 20.

Fresno State in its first season under coach Kalen DeBoer can after receiving approval from the CSU and state start NCAA-approved mandatory workouts on July 13, which would include six hours of training with the strength and conditioning staff and two hours of film review with coaches.

Then, on July 24, it can expand that to 20 hours per week of walk-throughs and meetings, as well as weight training, conditioning and film review leading into fall camp.

Fresno State is scheduled to open the season on Sept. 5 against Idaho State at Bulldog Stadium.