Who’s ready for some football (camp)?!? NOT SO FAST!

In news that should surprise exactly NO ONE given what’s going on around us, the official start of the Tigers’ football camp, and for all SEC camps, has been delayed until... [insert ominous music here] August 17.

Here’s the SEC’s release in its entirety:

The Southeastern Conference today announced adjusted dates for preseason football activities for SEC schools with the first allowable practice now scheduled for August 17. The new SEC calendar provides student-athletes with more days off than required by the NCAA and fewer practices than permitted by current NCAA rules.

Last week the SEC announced its intention to begin the 2020 season on September 26 as it continues to monitor developments around COVID-19. The original start date of September 5 would have allowed for preseason football practice to begin August 7.

In the revised SEC preseason football calendar, from August 7-16 schools are permitted to conduct up to 14 hours per week of strength and conditioning, meetings and walkthroughs.

Beginning August 17 and until the opening game, schools are allowed 25 practices with a limit of 20 hours per week of practice time. A five-day acclimatization period is required, with two days in helmets only, two days in shells and the fifth day in full pads.

Schools will be required to provide student-athletes a minimum of two days off each week until the week before the first game of the season.

I honestly don’t have much to add to this. It sounds like the SEC is doing what they think is best and safest for everyone involved while still playing actual football. When the start date of games was moved back last week, it seemed like only a matter of time before the start the camp also changed. It’s just not safe right now, as teams all over the country are halting activities in lieu of positive tests. While obviously, the safest thing to do is not play football at all, I really don’t WANT that to happen. As all of us at Rock M have said since this whole disaster started, we’ll just have to wait and see.

In the meantime, here’s some sweet tweets from Mizzou Football.

I hope (as does the football team) that you exercised your civic duty and voted (if you had an election to vote in, that is).

On to the links!

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Yesterday at Rock M

• Nate wrote a game preview for the last of the originally scheduled games— our nemesis (?), the Arkansas Razorbacks.
• COMING UP AT ROCK M: Coach Bussen is back with Part 2 of his 3-part film room, and BK will have a recruiting reset up later this morning.

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More Links:

Football/SEC News

• St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Dave wrote about the many jobs up for grabs as Mizzou gets ready for (eventual) camp.
• PowerMizzou: Mitchell Forde continued his camp previews with the linebackers.
• Local coverage of fall camp date pushback: Eric Blum (Columbia Tribune). Souichi Terada (KC Star). Dave Matter (St. Louis Post-Dispatch).
• ESPN.com: The Godfather of Rock M, Bill Connelly, explained how to make a better life for college football players.

Other Mizzou Sports Odds & Ends

• Dave Matter of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote about the winners & losers of the SEC now that the NBA Draft deadline has passed.
• In news it appears we missed at Rock M, Karissa Schweizer may be a WORLD RECORD HOLDER?!? This piece in the Missourian said that Schweizer broke a (pending) WR as part of the 4x 1500m relay at an intersquad meet in Portland. Wow.

• It’s vote for your fave Mizzou pics time again! Damn, we have really talented photographers! Sorry, it’s a long post of pics again, as I couldn’t get the entire thread to post at once, and I really wanted to share all the pics.

My votes? #13 Football, #11 X-Man, #1 Zo, #11 VB.

Mizzou in the Pros News

• According to ClutchPoints, the Utah Jazz’s Donavan Mitchell is endorsing teammate, Jordan Clarkson, to win the NBA’s 6th Man of the Year.
• Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today wrote an editorial on Michael Porter Jr, saying that the Nuggets are counting on him, but he’s had his fair share of growing pains.
• SBNation’s Mile High Report discussed the biggest issue Drew Lock will need to overcome this season.
• Go Soph!

• Associated Press (via Columbia Missourian): Markus Golden has been re-signed by the New York Giants! Yay, Markus! Definitely one of my favorite Mizzou guys ever.

Interesting/Non-Mizzou News

These are a few of the best sports stories & tidbits I recommend— Enjoy!

• Eric Blum of the Columbia Tribune wrote about Central Arkansas lineman (and former Battle Spartan) Parker Ray, who’s making the most of his time in college despite the Mizzou —Central Arkansas game cancellation. FUN FACT! Parker was actually in the last 5th grade class I taught in CoMo, and he was a DELIGHT. He had an uncanny impression of Billy Nye.
• Harry Lyles Jr of ESPN wrote about why the Pac-12 protest is showing the blueprint for future college football progress.
• Jemele Hill of The Atlantic wrote that while pro basketball is working, MLB is a disaster. (nods in agreement)
• From ESPN/The Undefeated’s Marc J Spears, white NBA players discuss responsibility to their black teammates and said it’s a continuous fight. The article features Kyle Korver, Alex Caruso, and JJ Redick.
• Speaking of JJ Redick, he and his podcasting partner, Tommy Alter (who also works on HBO’s The Shop, which I LOVE), have a new podcast —The Old Man and the Three — and the first TWO episodes debut today with guests Dame Lillard and Stacey Abrams... what a line up. Here’s a link to a really great New York Times piece on JJ and his background.
• The New Yorker had a great piece on WNBA star, Nneka Ogwumike and the WNBA’s big, complicated moment.
• Nathan Kalman-Lamb, Derek Silva and Johanna Mellis of The Guardian wrote that College Football is imperiling its athletes.
• Some news out of Colorado State in the Coloradoan. BIG YIKES. CSU athletes & staff say athletic administration covering up COVID-19 health threat. And here’s an opinion piece on it as well, asking if there’s a moral way for CSU and college football to continue.
• This... doesn’t make me respect the NFL. (not that I ever respected them, TBH)

• And I’ll leave you with this. Olympian Katie Ledecky is just... incredible.

• If you’re looking to sign up for ESPN+, Rock M Nation now has an affiliate link: click Here for ESPN+ Now! (** RockMNation has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though RockMNation may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.**)