Fresno State finding a way to play fall football, but it won’t be with fans in attendance

Fresno State didn’t waste any time getting after a fall football season with close to 70 players who were in town and had been through COVID-19 testing and health and safety protocols taking part Friday in conditioning work in small groups and some brief walk-throughs.

The full roster likely won’t be back on campus and through testing until Sunday, and county restrictions remain in place on full-scale football practices as they try to prepare for a season that is now scheduled to start Oct. 24.

But after first postponing the season, the Mountain West announced its fall football plans on Friday morning – eight games with a championship game, pending approval from state, county and local officials. The conference will cover the costs of three antigen tests per week for players, coaches and other on-field personnel.

“I think our coaching staff after hours and hours and hours of Zoom calls, they’re certainly ready and fired up to coach these guys up and develop them,” Bulldogs coach Kalen DeBoer said.

The Fresno State men’s and women’s basketball teams also started to return Friday, and they will be followed by wrestling and women’s swimming and diving, which compete in the winter.

The women’s volleyball team also is expected to return this fall, though their season has been pushed to the spring due to the coronavirus pandemic.

No fans at Bulldog Stadium

If Fresno State makes it to kickoff just four weeks away it will not play in front of fans when at home in Bulldog Stadium due to state and county COVID-19 guidelines, the athletics department announced.

But DeBoer is intent on getting there as he starts his first season well behind every other program in the conference.

The Bulldogs are the only team that did not have any organized team strength and conditioning workouts or player-led practices this summer, the players kept off campus by university administration due to state and county COVID-19 health and safety guidelines.

Every other school in the Mountain West has had student-athletes back on campus, some since June, and most have been using the 12 hours a week the NCAA has approved for preseason workouts.

There also is a chance, DeBoer said, that some players will choose to opt out of participating in the fall football season.

“There are certainly guys I’ve had conversations with, and I respect their reasons for that,” the coach said. “We’ll continue to talk that out, but I think we’ll definitely have some guys that make that decision.”

Fresno State will continue to do conditioning work before starting a fall camp, once its full team is back on campus. A date has not yet been set. But they will have to go through the NCAA acclimatization process at the start of camp before putting on full pads for the first time.

Does Fresno State have enough time?

Fall camp in a normal year is 25 practices over 29 days, a tight fit into the Mountain West timeline that includes eight games in eight weeks and no room for postponement if a team has a coronavirus outbreak.

That was a topic of discussion for the conference leadership and its health and safety advisory group, Commissioner Craig Thompson said.

“From our medical group, we really focused on that,” Thompson said. “Is 29 days enough? That would be a normal fall practice schedule anyway. … Today is the 25th and if we play on the 24th then the 29 (day) window is perfect. It’s tight, but there are restrictions on days off and what you can do in the acclimatization period of being able to wear helmets and spiders, etc., for a few days before you get into contact drills.

“But a number of our institutions maybe with the exception of one have minimally been in the 12-hour (practice) window for a period of time now.”

Fresno State is that one exception, but when DeBoer was leading Sioux Falls to three NAIA championships fall camp was two weeks long.

“We have to make sure we have a ramping up and not overuse here right off the bat where we just jump on them and push them too hard,” he said.

“One thing this reminds me of a little bit is those years many years back when I was coaching small college football, when you had two weeks of fall camp and one week to get ready for a game. You saw your guys some and you had a program in place, but not everyone was able to attend the summer workouts. I’ve seen this before and know how to manage it.”

Said Fresno State Athletics Director Terry Tumey: “There is a philosophy that could lean toward the fact our student-athletes could be in a better space. There’s not going to be wear and tear on their bodies from all the aspects that go along with trying to get ready for the season. It can be taxing at times. …

“We have an amazing coaching staff with coach DeBoer on the football side but also (assistant athletics director for sports performance Ron McKeefery) on the strength and conditioning side that will help us move forward in a safe way.”

The players who were on campus and worked out Friday have been working on their own while away from campus. From a strength standpoint, DeBoer said, he thought the staff would be pleased with where they were, just walking in the door. But the ability to adjust will be critical — that’s something the Bulldogs have done well over the past few months as spring practices, June voluntary workouts and July mandatory workouts were missed.

“We’ll move forward,” DeBoer said. “We’re waiting for some other things to be able to happen before we can get into a full team setting anyway, so we’re going to take advantage of every moment whether it’s small group or walk-through and continue to build a base of conditioning and strength.”