SLIPPERY ROCK — No physical contact, but plenty of communication.

While the Slippery Rock University football team — like every other collegiate team in the country — is unable to conduct spring practices this off-season, it is preparing for the 2020 season nonetheless.

“We have an app set up where we can get communications out to every player on the team,” SRU head coach Shawn Lutz said. “Our position coaches touch base with the players once a week.

“We keep our guys updated with what's going on and make sure they're doing what they need to do.”

Those needs include staying up on their academics and completing a home exercise program designed by Scott Morrison, the athletic program's strength and conditioning coach.

With SRU going to an online teaching format for the spring semester, Lutz said the players must shoulder the responsibility of keeping their academics in order on their own.

“We don't want anybody to fall behind that way,” Lutz said. “There are no formal classes going on, but the education process continues.

“As coaches, we're making sure our players have the computer equipment they need. The university is providing the means to students who don't have that access.”

Morrison has SRU football players doing exercises to strengthen hamstrings, hip, lower back and chest muscles.

“These guys have been putting in their weight room work before all of this (coronavirus outbreak),” Morrison said. “We don't know when the next time they can get back in the weight room will be.

“In the meantime, we have them doing sit-ups with both arms extended out, push-ups on the left hand while leaning that way, then with the right hand ... They can use their own body weight to serve as resistance the way equipment in the weight room would.”

Morrison emphasized that strengthening hips and hamstrings now “will put these players ahead of the game when summer practice rolls around.

“There will be less chance of nagging injuries like that popping up,” he said.

While SRU players are taking care of their business, the coaches are taking care of their own.

Lutz said recruiting of high school juniors will be advanced beyond schedule because of the lack of spring football drills.

“While this pandemic does put life in perspective and football doesn't seem that important, it is how we make our living and we are still getting paid,” the coach said. “We still have a job to do.

“We've been breaking down film on high school juniors, gathering information, figuring out who we want to pursue. We are ahead of the game that way.”

Lutz isn't bothered by the lack of spring football — because no one else has spring football, either.

“We're all in the same boat,” he said. “The guys who can't get ahead now are our red-shirt freshmen. That's the class that grows the most during spring practice. The incoming freshmen will have a shot at directly competing with the red-shirt freshmen as a result of all this.”

Voluntary weight room work for SRU football begins in the second week of July. Summer practice gets under way Aug. 10.

“Hopefully, things will be back to normal by then,” Lutz said. “It's crazy when life is so hectic ... Then when things slow down like they have, you miss it so much.”