artisteer/iStockBy EMILY SHAPIRO, ABC News

(NEW YORK) — The Big 12 Conference will move forward with fall sports this year, officials announced Wednesday.

Athletes in high-contact sports including football will get three COVID-19 tests per week, officials said.

Schools not in the Big 12 Conference must follow those testing rules in the week leading up to games against Big 12 schools, officials said.

“We are comfortable in our institutions’ ability to provide a structured training environment, rigorous testing and surveillance, hospital quality sanitation and mitigation practices that optimize the health and safety of our student-athletes,” Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said in a statement. “We believe all of this combines to create an ideal learning and training situation during this time of COVID-19.”

“Ultimately, our student-athletes have indicated their desire to compete in the sports they love this season and it is up to all of us to deliver a safe, medically sound, and structured academic and athletic environment for accomplishing that outcome,” Bowlsby said.

Officials with the Pac-12 and Big Ten conferences said Tuesday they are postponing all sports including football.

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