For college football, the show will go on. What we don’t know for certain, however, is when exactly that show will start.
What we do know is the NCAA canceled their fall championship events. The move doesn’t affect major college football; this is because not enough schools will be competing in sports such as men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball during the first semester.
So, while the NCAA continues to work on contingencies, such as moving fall sports to the spring; college football will move forward with the remaining teams still on board to play this fall.
The Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences have decided not to play football, or any sports this fall. Having those two Power Five conferences pull out is a body blow for Division I football. There’s still, however enough support within the College Football Playoff to move towards having a season.
Parents of Ohio State and Iowa football players are calling for the Big Ten to overturn its decision not to play this fall because of the pandemic.
The CFP is run by the conferences. Six of those leagues intend to move forward, including the Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, and Big 12.
For collegiate athletes and coaches, hoping to press on with having a football season, they can remain optimistic for now. However, amid the unpredictability of a global pandemic, doubt continues to loom over all of us.
Furthermore, it’s not just that there’s doubt, it’s who’s doing the doubting. That’s what I believe should be the biggest red flag of all.
The NCAA’s chief medical officer and two of its infectious disease expert advisers are pointing towards the fact COVID-19 remains a serious threat throughout the United States.
“I feel like the Titanic. We have hit the iceberg, and we’re trying to make decisions of what time should we have the band play,” said Dr. Carlos Del Rio, executive associate dean at Emory University.
It shouldn’t be overlooked, meanwhile, that Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley said nine of his players tested positive for COVID-19 after he gave his players a week break from team activities.
Professional sports continues to struggle with navigating through these difficult times. What collegiate athletics are attempting take on must give all of us a necessary moment of pause.
