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Oklahoma will re-open football facilities July 1, two weeks after Big 12 teams can start voluntary workouts

Football players at the University of Oklahoma won’t start voluntary team activities until July.

The school said Tuesday that it would re-open its football facilities on July 1 for voluntary workouts. That’s a date later than most major schools have said they will allow players back for voluntary activities and the announcement comes two weeks after coach Lincoln Riley preached patience to his fellow college football coaches regarding a rush to start team activities.

"As I have stated before, we are going to approach this return with extreme care," Riley said in the team’s statement. "We have received tremendous guidance from highly respected medical professionals, and we will follow their recommendations. We understand that the well-being of our student-athletes is at the top of our responsibilities. That's why we will be diligent in how we manage everything from the way we relate to each other to the cleaning of our facilities and beyond.

"Our medical personnel have told us that the safest thing we can do is keep our players off campus for as long as possible. We chose the latest point that we could bring them back and still have enough time to prepare."

The NCAA’s Division I Council voted to allow teams to open up their facilities at the start of June. The SEC said its schools could start hosting players for voluntary workouts on June 8 and the Big 12 said schools could start hosting voluntary workouts on June 15.

That Big 12 rule means that many of Oklahoma’s conference rivals will get their voluntary workouts started two weeks before the Sooners. That means little to Riley, who called the idea of a June 1 target date to open facilities a “ridiculous” idea earlier in May.

“I do believe that if we do it right, if we’re patient enough on some key areas like when we bring our players back on campus,” Riley said nearly two weeks ago. “All this talk of schools wanting to bring players back on June 1st is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard.

“We’ve got to be patient. We’ll get one good shot at it. Bring them back at the right time when we’re as prepared and know as much about this as we possibly can.”

The Sooners’ first game is on Sept. 5 against Missouri State.

Dec 28, 2019; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley reacts during the 2019 Peach Bowl college football playoff semifinal game between the LSU Tigers and the Oklahoma Sooners at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Oklahoma is waiting until July 1 to bring players back to campus. (Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports)

Oklahoma will have a specific exam site for all players

Before players can begin working out, they all will be screened by Oklahoma’s medical team at a designated location. The school said it will also have a specific shelter and quarantine spot on campus for anyone who tests positive.

Workouts will include just 10 or fewer players, be done outside whenever possible and also follow social distancing protocols. The school also said that it would have cameras in place to help monitor those protocols.

The July 1 target date is just for football players. Other athletes will be brought back to campus in phases.

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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.

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