FAYETTEVILLE — University of Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek, conducting his first group video chat with reporters since May 27, updated the athletic department's latest covid-19 numbers, urged residents to follow coronavirus guidelines and said his optimism level for a full football schedule was "mediocre" on Thursday.
Yurachek said as of July 6 the UA had brought more than 300 student-athletes back to campus in each of the school's 19 sports and less than 10 student-athletes and two staff members have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Yurachek added all but one of those infected have returned to their workouts or workplace at this time, meaning the athletic department currently has one active case. He touted the department's return to campus plan, which he outlined with the media on May 27.
"What I can tell you is that I truly believe that plan has worked very, very well," Yurachek said.
Contact tracing from those known to be infected has led to up to 20 student-athletes that are currently in some phase of their 14-day quarantine period, Yurachek added, but none of those has tested positive for the virus.
Yurachek said he was "extremely proud" of the UA's medical staff, student-athletes, coaches and support staffs for setting the tone and making adjustments to the department's return to campus, which began in early June.
He reiterated SEC commissioner Greg Sankey's remarks in the aftermath of Monday's meeting of all 14 SEC athletic directors at the league office in Birmingham, Ala., that the league was prepared to take a little more time before making decisions on playing football this fall.
"We're going to continue to be patient as a conference before making decisions," Yurachek said. "There are several options that are on the table right now, the first option still being a 12-game schedule that for us starts Sept. 5 vs. Nevada, followed by a road game Sept. 12 at Notre Dame.
"We can't move on to the second option until we eliminate the first option. That first option is still very much on the table as are other options."
While the Big Ten and the Pac-12 independently made decisions last week to play conference-only schedules, the SEC, Atlantic Coast and Big 12 conferences -- who have tighter scheduling alliances -- are holding off on making a decision in unison at this point.
The ACC and SEC have several in-state matchups late in the season. Additionally, Notre Dame is a scheduling affiliate with the ACC, and Yurachek said every measure would be taken to salvage the Razorbacks' road game with the Irish.
"As we stand here today, what I believe with our conversations with commissioner Sankey, the SEC, the Big 12 and the ACC are on the same page as far as our collective desire to be patient before making any decisions," Yurachek said. "You look at some of the in-state rivalries that exist, especially between the SEC and the ACC, it makes sense that Clemson should play South Carolina, Georgia should play Georgia Tech and Florida should play Florida State. Just eliminating those games because you want to play a conference-only schedule, at least at this point, does not make a great deal of sense."
However, recent trends in virus rates have been on the rise, particularly in much of the Deep South and many of the 11 states that comprise the SEC.
Asked his level of optimism for sports this fall, Yurachek replied, "I would say it's mediocre to be honest and very transparent. Mediocre. It's not as high as it was a month ago. Obviously what has trended across our country with this virus the past 4-6 weeks is not at all what we had expected."
Yurachek said when athletes returned to campus on June 8 he had a much better outlook on the potential for a fall season.
Asked later to clarify what his reference to "mediocre" meant, Yurachek said, "I'm 50/50 right now. I'll tell you that a month ago I was probably 70/30."
In consultation with the Arkansas Department of Health, UA officials are nearing completion of a plan for projected attendance at football, volleyball and soccer games in the fall, Yurachek said.
"We're working toward a goal to be able to accommodate each of our close to 32,700 season-ticket holders who make a choice to attend the games or continue with their season tickets along with our students and their families," he said.
Yurachek has talked about hopes and expectations for Razorback athletes this fall, and he said he's heard strongly they want to play their seasons.
"I'll tell you that the football players want to play football," he said. "Here's the thing that they have told me, unequivocally, 'Don't put us through fall camp and then pull the plug on us.'
"They said, 'Fall camp is the worst three or four weeks of football season.' They said, 'Please don't put us through fall camp and then pull the plug on us. Make a decision before fall camp.'
"They just want to play, and I'm going to try to find a way to make sure that happens."
Yurachek said there are youth sports going on across the country right now and that the upcoming openings in other professional sports and the allowance of 30,000 fans at a NASCAR race in Bristol, Tenn., on Wednesday would provide further data for medical professionals and college administrators to study.
He was asked if there had been an over-reaction to the virus.
"I don't know," he said. "I'm not a medical professional. ... What I know is that the majority, if not all, of the student-athletes and staff that contracted the virus had very few, if any, symptoms that kept them down for no more than about 24 hours.
"I know in other parts of the country it has been the far opposite extreme. The death rate has been much higher. It has impacted people differently. But, at some point in time I feel like we have to move on with our new norm. That new norm is things that involve a great deal of testing, social distancing, wearing of the mask and the hand sanitization.
"We're not going to get back to normal in the next year or two it doesn't sound like, so we have to develop what that new normal looks like. We have to make some personal decisions. But when we make those decisions to leave our house and do things, there are some things that we should do that are in the best interest of everyone we come in contact with."
Yurachek also touched on what he's seen from athletes on the UA campus taking the issue seriously and the nature of the positive tests on campus.
"I think as we get closer to the fall sports season, you're starting to see the habits of our football, soccer, volleyball, cross country teams change when they're away from our venues," he said. "They feel that their seasons are imminent and they don't want to do anything that hurts that.
"The one thing I will tell you about each of the cases that we've had: We've been able to trace them to a student-athlete or staff member traveling outside of Northwest Arkansas and bringing that virus back. There has been zero transfer of that virus within any of our athletic facilities."
Yurachek noted several states that feature SEC teams such as Florida and Texas have been "struggling" with their virus control of late.
"We need some things to get better, in those states in particular, to help with that," he said. "We need everybody to do their part and we need this to start trending in the other direction.
"I think if we see this does not trend in the other direction and we see a continued increase in cases across our country and across this region and the death rate increase, I think that will give us a pretty good indication we're going to have to put a stop to this [fall season]."
Yurachek said a spring football season is definitely on the list of considerations for the SEC, but that "it's the last option on the list.
"I think really Sept. 5 has to be the first option, and then pushing it back a week or two, and then another week or two. Then maybe another week or two before you get to the spring option. I think we've got several options within the fall. But we just need a different trend in this virus right now."
Yurachek praised the decisions made recently by Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon and the UA System Board of Trustees regarding the mandatory wearing of masks. He added he isn't a "political person" but said, "It's a shame, in my opinion, that wearing a mask has become a political decision.
"To me it's just the right thing to do from what we've heard from medical personnel. Me and my family are active mask wearers as are all our staff members that have come to work. It's the right thing to do not only for yourself, but everyone you come in contact with."