The Southeastern Conference continues to do everything it can to aid the return of college football come the fall and the latest news out of Birmingham is the formation of a Medical Guidance Task Force.

The task force is made up of 14 specialists from around the league, one for each school, designed to help aid the return of athletics activities, including team gatherings, practices, conditioning and competition.

The task force will also be responsible for helping recommend protocols and best practices for the safe return of football in the weeks and months to come.

“As the Southeastern Conference Office continues to closely monitor and learn about COVID-19 and associated public health information, this task force of medical professionals has begun to provide the guidance necessary to make decisions related to the return to athletics activities for SEC student-athletes and to assist in our collaboration with colleague conferences in determining a safe return to athletics competition,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey in a released statement. “The expertise of these medical professionals is playing an important role in our continuing focus on the health and well-being of SEC student-athletes.”

Members of the SEC’s Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force:

  • Dr. Jimmy Robinson, University of Alabama-Head Team Physician and Medical Director
  • Dr. Chris Arnold, University of Arkansas, Orthopedic Surgeon/Team Physician
  • Dr. Mike Goodlett, Auburn University, Chief Medical Officer/Team Physician
  • Dr. Jay Clugston, University of Florida, Team Physician
  • Ron Courson, University of Georgia, Senior Associate. Athletics Director/Sports Medicine
  • Jim Madaleno, University of Kentucky, Executive Associate Athletics Director/Sports Medicine and Performance
  • Dr. Catherine O’Neal, LSUHSC Assistant Professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases
  • Dr. Marshall Crowther, University of Mississippi, Medical Director/Sports Medicine Physician
  • Dr. Cliff Story, Mississippi State University, Director of University Health Services
  • Dr. Stevan Whitt, University of Missouri, Associate Professor of Medicine, Divisions of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and Infectious Diseases; Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Chief Clinical Officer
  • Dr. Zoë Foster, University of South Carolina, Program Director, Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship
  • Dr. Chris Klenck, University of Tennessee, Head Team Physician
  • Dr. Shawn Gibbs, Texas A&M University, Dean of School of Public Health
  • Dr. Warne Fitch, Vanderbilt University, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Associate Professor of Orthopedics