The NCAA announced new guidelines on Thursday for colleges to follow as they navigate the return of fall sports amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Why it matters: The directions are designed to help schools respond to and protect athletes from possible community spread of COVID-19. Some universities have abruptly cut sports teams and reevaluated programs because of the economic fallout from the outbreak.

What they're saying: "When we made the extremely difficult decision to cancel last spring’s championships it was because there was simply no way to conduct them safely," NCAA President Mark Emmert said in Thursday's statement.

• "Today, sadly, the data point in the wrong direction. If there is to be college sports in the fall, we need to get a much better handle on the pandemic."

Details: The guidelines call fordaily self-health checks, the use of face masks and social distancing when possible, testing strategies for all athletic activities, and testing and results within 72 hours of high contact risk sports.