Pitt football is trying to make preparation for the 2021 season as normal as possible while playing in a pandemic.
Unfortunately, that still is going to have its bumps in the road, as the Panthers had to pause its spring practices Tuesday due to COVID-19 protocols. While the university wouldn't release whether players or coaches tested positive for COVID-19 and if that was the reason why practices were paused, it's still a break in the Panthers' attempt to have a full spring of practices.
Pat Narduzzi and several players spoke back before the start of spring football about the importance of getting the opportunity to train, learn and develop players during this time after not getting that chance last year during the start of the pandemic. Last year, the Panthers, like most college football programs, had to rely on Zoom meetings to grasp the concepts that they would later apply when summer training camp began.
But there's a big difference when you're able to do that work in the classroom and combine it with work on the field in live drills where you're not only pushing your teammates, but further developing chemistry between them.
The Panthers are only four practices into their scheduled 15 practices for spring football, and now they'll have to resort back to talking on Zoom and writing on whiteboards until they're cleared by the ACC to get back on the field. It's still unclear whether this will cut down on the total number of practices during spring ball or if the Panthers will adjust their schedule to allow for the full 15 practices.
