Penn State Coaches Back at Lasch; Hoops Beginning Return Process

Ja'Juan Seider was the first to chime in publicly.

The Nittany Lions' assistant coach in charge of the running backs issued a Tweet Monday afternoon with a view familiar from the social media feeds of Penn State's staff. Overlooking a turf practice field covered in cones, with Mount Nittany in the distance, Seider indicated that the upstairs offices in the Lasch Building are coming back to life.

The phased re-opening of the Lasch Building, with coaches permitted back in beginning on Monday, offers yet another step forward for the program as it returns from the abrupt shutdown that began in March over spring break and has lasted three full months due to the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic.

Those wheels started to creak back into motion when Penn State players were permitted to voluntarily isolate for seven days beginning June 1, then allowed to return to their apartments or hotel rooms on June 8 for another week leading into an on-campus return that began last Monday, June 15. During that process, players opting to return for "Phase One" were tested for coronavirus, and in the time since, other players (including All-American linebacker Micah Parsons) were among others set to return for a week of isolation beginning Monday, June 22.

At present, the Nittany Lion players are utilizing Holuba Hall for initial athletic testing and a ramped up return first toward full-on voluntary workouts and, beginning July 13, allowing for eight hours of "weight training, conditioning and film review per week" from then until July 23.

From our report Friday, then:

"For the next two weeks, from July 24 until August 6, Penn State football could require participation of 20 hours per week with the following stipulations (including not more than four hours of activity per day) with a required two days off per week:

- Up to eight hours per week for weight training and conditioning.

- Up to six hours per week for walk-throughs, which may include the use of a football.

- Up to six hours per week for meetings, which may include film review, team meetings, position meetings, one-on-one meetings, etc.

Beginning August 7, then, the Nittany Lions would be permitted 29 practices of preseason camp, including a required five-day acclimation period and 25 on-field practices."

Additionally, the Penn State men's basketball program is effectively beginning the same process as football with players returning to the area for a one-week quarantine that starts Monday. Testing all participants for COVID-19 (of which Penn State has full participation, including its incoming Class of 2020 plus transfer guard Sam Sessoms), the Nittany Lions will "check-in" and begin their own ramping up of testing and strength and conditioning work starting June 29.

Approved by the D1 Council last week, men's and women's college basketball are on a one week delay from football for organized team activities, which will be permitted beginning July 20 for eight hours per week and will last up until the first day of classes for the fall semester, which are set to begin Monday, Aug. 24.

*******

• Talk about this article inside The Lions Den

• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel

• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue-White Illustrated

• Follow us on Twitter: @BWIonRivals, @NateBauerBWI, @RivalsSnyder, @DavidEckert98

• Like us on Facebook