NCAA President Mark Emmert laid out a dire warning in a statement Thursday: “Today, sadly, the data point in the wrong direction. If there is to be college sports in the fall, we need to get a much better handle on the pandemic.” The United States reported at least 70,000 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, a record daily increase for the seventh time this month.
The statement also laid out guidelines for schools to follow as they look to try to keep sports on the docket this fall, even as several conferences have already altered or canceled their seasons. Among the guidelines are daily self-health checks, the use of face masks and social distancing, and testing with results within 72 hours for high-contact risk sports.
As the NCAA publicly outlined their plan, Sports Illustrated obtained the Power 5 conferences’ testing standards, which include:
- 10-day isolation for positive test results
- 14-day isolation for those who come in contact with a positive case
- Weekly tests, including within 72 hours of football games
![Former NFL Coache Jon Gruden have a laugh while attending an NFL training camp session ten at the Miller Electric Center, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]](https://frontofficesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/USATSI_26781802_168422351_lowres-scaled-e1784132043881.jpg?quality=80&w=300)
