Will We have College Football this Season?

The question that every college sports fan has been asking since the COVID-19 outbreak

The Unknown Reality

Let's be honest, COVID-19 has been an international nightmare and 2020 has sucked. The pandemic has impacted every aspect of our lives and we may never get back to what was considered “normal”. What has taken a huge toll is the sports world in every league, association, and brand across the board. We may have to face the fact that the college football season may be delayed, or worse, canceled. 

There are many rumors going around as to what the season will look like and how the virus will financially affect collegiate sports. As professional sports slowly re-start, leagues have created testing and safety protocol for the return of players and staff to training. Current examples include over in Europe, soccer has returned to England, Germany, Italy, and Spain with a successful rate of players and staff testing negative and being able to play. But the issue at hand is that these are professional teams with a set protocol to follow, but the NCAA has not implemented a national protocol for the return of student-athletes and staff. 

There are many questions surrounding the return of college football, but here are a few things that we know as of now:

• NCAA Div. I seasons are still set to begin in seven weeks. (Dodd, CBS Sports)

• No Div. I teams or conferences have canceled their seasons. 

• Four Div. II and Div. III teams have canceled their seasons (ESPN).

• NCAA has no set national protocol for COVID-19 testing for players or staff (Dodd, CBS Sports). 

• NCAA has suggested measures for teams to follow. 

• A few Div. I games have been canceled, but these are single games and not seasons. (Seth Davis, The Athletic)

So if professional leagues have a set protocol for testing and safety, why does the NCAA not have anything in place? Short answer: too many people and programs to keep up with. This issue is an extremely complex logistical set of guidelines to create, enforce, and uphold for the NCAA. There are hundreds of schools to keep up with and the NCAA would not be able to properly ensure the safety of players and staff. This also comes down to a liability issue for the NCAA because they do not what the blame set on them if their protocol were to fail (Fiutak, CFN).

Many teams and conferences have created their own safety and testing protocol and have taken measures to ensure the safety of their players and staff, but the NCAA has only given suggestions to teams and conferences. Top programs like the Clemson Tigers and LSU Tigers have returned to training, but have reported dozens of positive tests among players and staff (ESPN). 

Even if football were to happen this fall, it would be nothing close to normal. Some teams have already decided to not allow any fans to attend the games. Charlotte 49ers football, by rumor, may have 30% capacity in attendance for home games, but nothing has been reported as of now. Across social media, fans and reporters have suggested and created “regional  Div. I conferences” for the 2020 season. The regional conferences would feature schools that are in close proximity to each other and play in-state and play inter-conference. Imagine the Tar Heels playing ECU, Charlotte, App State, and NC State during the fall (I personally like it). This is highly unlikely to happen, but it's a fun idea. 

The financial toll COVID-19 will have of Power Five and Group of Five conferences will cut deep for many years and there is no getting around the situation. It has been estimated by ESPN that a combined $4 billion (yes, with a B) could be lost across the NCAA if the season were not to happen. It is uncertain what television deals will be made with conferences this fall, but viewership will certainly be up if teams will not allow fans into the stadiums. The impact on Div. II and Div. III could be catastrophic, and this is the NCAA, this does not include other associations.

How have professional teams handled the return and safety protocol? An international example of the successful protocol can be found in England and how the Premier League has tested players and enforced strict quarantine guidelines for players and staff (more information can be found on the link). 

As for sports in the United States, the NBA, MLB, and MLS will be starting their leagues back in the coming weeks and have begun scheduling, testing, and training for the restart of their seasons. The NFL has canceled the first and fourth preseason games in August and has encouraged players not to workout together (Yahoo Sports). As for the regular-season schedule, nothing has changed for the NFL. 

There is also a bigger issue here than just a few players getting sick and quarantining, its the fact that football teams have scores of players and staff that are vital to playing and coaching the game. Football requires more players on and off the field than most sports, so this poses a bigger threat of someone transmitting the disease. This is probably football’s biggest threat, but this might also mean players and coaches may need to take on more responsibility on and off the field. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a horrorshow for sports across the nation, but the idea that players could miss out on an entire season is a heartbreaking scenario to think about. As long as teams and conferences work tirelessly to protect players and staff, teams will be able to play. The best solution to preventing the spread of the virus across college football starts with teams taking strict measures to ensure the safety of their players and staff. Without a community effort, we may not see football in the fall. It is up to players, coaches, staff, and even the fans to take serious responsibility to slow the spread and ensure football for fall 2020.