The NCAA guidance is consistent with advice published by the federal Government, its health agencies and relevant scientific and medical information ©Getty Images

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has released guidance for autumn training and competitive sport amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2021 Fall Training and Competition document includes testing, quarantine, isolation, and other athletic and nonathletic activity considerations for unvaccinated and fully vaccinated Tier One individuals.

Tier One individuals are classed as those with the highest exposure, for example, student-athletes, coaches, and officials.

"Current vaccination rates remain inadequate to provide community-level immunity," NCAA chief medical officer Brian Hainline said.

"It is essential that member schools work in concert with federal, state and local public health officials to develop COVID-19 prevention and management strategies that make sense for them."

The guidance was developed in consultation with the NCAA Medical Advisory Group, American Medical Society for Sports Medicine Working Group and Autonomy 5 Medical Advisory Group and is intended to be consistent with Government advice.

The 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, also known as March Madness, was held in a bubble in Indianapolis ©Getty Images
The 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, also known as March Madness, was held in a bubble in Indianapolis ©Getty Images

The NCAA were heavily criticised for their handling of coronavirus in 2020, with the organisation accused of severely underestimating the pandemic and as a result exposing their so-called "revenue-centric" priorities.

"There must not be directives at the national level that preclude resocialization," was the NCAA's core principle for resuming college sport.

It also stated that once infection rates had declined for two weeks, fixtures could be run as normal.

As the financial implications of COVID-19 became clear, the NCAA rescheduled autumn championships in cross-country, football, hockey, volleyball and water polo to the spring months.

However, American football, the non-profit NCAA's cash cow, remained in the autumn because to ensure it was as profitable as possible to the television networks.

Basketball also stuck to a November-March schedule despite public calls to delay the season from Hall of Fame coaches Mike Krzyzewski and Rick Pitino.

This is likely due to the extraordinary amount of money that the March Madness tournament generates.

In 2019, it was estimated that the event brought in $1.05 billion (£756 million/€892 million) in revenue for the governing body.