For those hoping that the college football season will start on-schedule in September, this week has been the best since the coronavirus put the sports world on hold in March.

On Monday, Governors Andrew Cuomo of New York, Greg Abbott of Texas and Gavin Newsom of California kicked off the momentum with harmonious announcements that their respective states will allow pro sports to return in June. Coming from the three most populous U.S. states, including two that have been hit the hardest by COVID-19, it was a necessary precursor for the return of college sports.

Then on Wednesday, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced in a release that the state would be moving into a “Safer At Home Phase 2” beginning Friday, May 22 at 5 p.m.

Restaurant dining rooms will reopen at 50 percent capacity, as well as swimming pools, barber shops, salons and other personal care businesses. Gyms, bars and playgrounds, however, will not reopen despite being a part of Phase 2 in the Governor’s original plan.

The modified Phase 2 also expands the limit on outside mass gatherings from 10 to 25. Safer At Home Phase 2 will last until Friday, June 26 according to the release.

So what does this Phase 2 mean for college sports in North Carolina? Well, it opens the door for a return of athletics while shifting the burden of decision-making to conferences, universities and the NCAA.

According to a Frequently Asked Questions document attached to the Governor’s release, “Entertainment and professional sports events at large venues may take place so they can be broadcast to the public, but spectators are subject to the mass gathering limit.”

“Professional entertainers, athletes, coaches, performers, support staff, and broadcast staff will not count toward the mass gathering limit. Employees and other workers at facilities where entertainment events occur also will not count toward the mass gathering limit,” the release continued.

While Phase 2 relaxes state regulations related to a potential return of games with no fans, it remains to be seen if weight rooms such as the one in the Wendell Murphy Football Center at NC State will be considered gyms or part of a large venue in the eyes of the state government.

The next two weeks will serve as an important period of clarification on state regulations as the odds for the return of some college athletes for voluntary workouts in June increased Wednesday.

First reported by Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, the NCAA Division I Council approved voluntary workouts for football and basketball student-athletes starting June 1. Additionally, the council extended the waiver allowing those sports to require up to eight hours per week of virtual nonphysical activities through the end of June. The NCAA added that it will soon provide updates on other sports as well.

Because the Atlantic Coast Conference placed a moratorium of its own on team activities during the pandemic, the ACC will likely need to reach a similar decision at the conference level before NC State football and basketball players can begin working out in university facilities.

The NCAA’s decision comes just two days before the Southeastern Conference is scheduled to meet on Friday and is expected to vote on resuming workouts. The ACC has yet to announce a date for a similar decision for its conference to be made.

Update: The ACC will not conduct a conference-wide vote on a uniform return to voluntary workouts according to ESPN's Andrea Adelson. It will be up to the individual athletic programs to decide when to allow voluntary workouts beginning June 1.

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