NDSU Allowing Student-Athletes Back on Campus Starting June 1st (Reaction From Coaches)

Football can return June 1; Soccer/Volleyball June 8; Basketball June 15

FARGO, N.D. — (NDSU Athletics) The North Dakota State University athletic department today finalized a plan to re-open athletic facilities for voluntary workouts beginning June 1 for football. Additional sports will be phased in with women’s volleyball and women’s soccer planned for June 8 and men’s and women’s basketball planned for June 15.

NDSU will be opening the weight room, sports medicine suite, and Meyers Academic Center within the Sanford Health Athletic Complex. Daily wellness checks will be performed by sports medicine staff upon arrival. Other athletic facilities, including outdoor facilities, are not opening but will continue to be evaluated.

Voluntary workouts are off-limits for media and student-athletes will not be available for interviews.

North Dakota State Men’s Basketball head coach Dave Richman details how workouts with the team will work once all his players are back.

“We’ll start off with things in the weight room. I think a lot of that as to my understanding a phased in process,” Richman said. “What we can do when we come back on the 15th of June, part of that will come based off what happens that first week with football and the second week with volleyball and soccer. We’ll start with the guidelines that are given by our administration from the stand point of strength and conditioning. Athletic training then hopefully we can expand from there and we can get into our practice facilities and work in some of our skill developments as well.”

NDSU head football coach Matt Entz issued these comments regarding the June 1 start of voluntary workouts on campus:

“Our number one priority throughout this spring has been the safety and well-being of our student-athletes, and that will remain the top priority. I appreciate our staff and administration for the work they have put in over the past several weeks to carefully develop a comprehensive plan for student-athletes to safely return to our facilities.”

“Many of our players have found creative ways to stay active from remote locations, but they also miss being with teammates and having more structure and ability for complete workouts. Having access to our own weight room will provide some of those opportunities, and I know our strength and conditioning staff is eager to get started.”