ACC releases updated COVID-19 policy for fall sports

The ACC updated and released its latest COVID-19 protocol for fall sports. 

The press release detailed what would happen to team's records in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak prohibiting a team from playing as well as explained safety protocol for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. These rules apply to football, field hockey, volleyball, men's soccer and women's soccer.

If a team has a COVID-19 outbreak prior to an ACC game and does not have the minimum number of players required to play a game for their respective sport on the scheduled date, they will be forced to forfeit that game and take the loss to their overall and conference record. In the event that both teams are unable to play on the scheduled date due to COVID-19 cases, each team will be forced to forfeit and assigned a loss. 

The ACC's updated medical advisory report details the shifted approach to managing the pandemic now that vaccines are widely available. Vaccinated people no longer have to undergo surveillance testing, but unvaccinated members of teams who the universities decide to be in close contact with the team will have to undergo testing.

Teams with a vaccination rate below 85% will have its unvaccinated players and staff PCR tested at least three times a week, and teams with a rate above 85% will only be required to have one PCR test a week. 

The ACC stated that mask policy is up to the discretion of each home school.