The doors of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center cracked open this week, and they're expected to open even further in the near future.
Ohio State's football players are set to return to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on June 8, as first reported by Bucknuts on Tuesday evening.
Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith is expected to provide more details about reopening athletic facilities during a teleconference with reporters on Wednesday afternoon.
The NCAA's Division I Council is expected to vote Wednesday whether to end the moratorium on on-campus activities, which would allow Ohio State's athletes to participate in workouts at its facilities. Right now, organized team activities are suspended by both the NCAA and Big Ten until at least June 1.
That doesn't necessarily mean that players will be allowed or required to participate in full-team workouts or workouts with coaches right away, as Wednesday's vote could allow for voluntary workouts but continue to prohibit required training with coaches, according to Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger. Restrictions on how many players can be in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center at one time and what they're allowed to do when they're there could still be in place when they return.
Players getting back to campus would follow the return of coaches, some of whom – 13 on offense and 12 on defense – were allowed back into the Woody Hayes Athletic Center beginning Monday, but while adhering to strict rules. The current guidelines for coaches include each of them taking a daily symptom assessment (including having their temperature taken), following physical distance guidelines and wearing face coverings when together, while coming into the office at staggered times for only three days per week and three hours per day.
All of Ohio State's summer classes are currently set to be online, but the university hasn't yet announced its plans for the fall. Ohio State recently said it expects to publicize its fall semester plans by mid-June.
