On Wednesday, the NCAA could cross one major hurdle in football's return.
NCAA Division I Council will vote on whether to lift the nationwide moratorium on on-campus summer activities on June 1, according to Sports Illustrated. The moratorium went into effect in March and is set to expire on May 31.
According to SI, the council is unlikely to vote against opening campuses in some capacity but are considering whether to allow campuses to open for voluntary training without coaches or for required training, which would allow the presence of some coaches.
June workouts in any capacity would be a massive step towards the on-time return of college football as they would ready players for a six-week training necessary before the start of the season which officials hope can start in mid-July.
The Big Ten is also expected to meet on June 7 to discuss its ruling on summer activities, though in the meantime, Northwestern president and chair of the Big Ten's council of presidents and chancellors expressed optimism that all 14 conference members will be ready to play in the fall.
To clarify, Schapiro expects all 14 schools to be able to play this fall, unless state policies prohibit campuses from opening. https://t.co/EhzbRI7ztX
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) May 15, 2020
A lot still has to happen for an on-time return to football, but things appear to be moving in an optimistic direction.