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Following SEC vote, Kentucky AD issues statement suggesting school may not welcome athletes back on June 8
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Good news for football fans, the Southeastern Conference has passed a vote allowing athletes to return to campus by June 8. This is a major step toward having the upcoming college football season start on time, as it will allow those that open back up to have more than enough time to train and prepare for the upcoming season.
However, it’s important to note that the SEC is not requiring schools to reopen its doors to athletes. Friday’s vote simply allows for the schools to open their facilities to their teams, players and schools are not required to return on June 8.
While most schools have expressed their excitement regarding a return on Monday, June 8, Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart has issued comments suggesting his school may not open by the date set by the league.
“With the NCAA and SEC approving a return to activity, we will now work with our partners at the state and local government and university levels to determine the date that our student-athletes will come back. We will not compromise the safety and well-being of our student-athletes in this process, taking all possible precautions.
“Once we take this important step in returning to activity, we will shift our focus to preparing to return to play and bringing the entire UK family – student-athletes, coaches and fans alike – back together this fall in a responsible and safe way.”
Based on that statement, we can’t rule out Kentucky from opening on June 8 but Barnhart clearly isn’t in a rush to reopen the athletic facilities in Lexington just yet.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
