While there is plenty of uncertainty facing the upcoming college football season, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly is confident that the COVID-19 pandemic won’t stop football. In fact, he is all but guaranteeing that there will be college football played this year.
Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly: “We’re going to play football this year”
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to drastic changes that will already impact a potential college football season this year. As the Pac-12 and Big Ten are moving to conference-only schedules, amid increasing concern there won’t be games, Brian Kelly doesn’t expect the coronavirus to stop college football players from taking the field.
During an interview on ESPN’s “Get Up”, Kelly essentially guaranteed a 2020 college football season, only noting that it was a question of when the games will take place.
Kelly’s confidence certainly reflects a hopeful tone. Everyone across the NCAA needs there to be a college football season. If there are no collegiate sports this fall, the consequences for universities and conferences will be catastrophic.
As an independent program, Notre Dame’s 2020 football season becomes even more interesting to monitor. The Fighting Irish already lost Pac-12 and Big-10 opponents from this year’s schedule and it could get even worse if the ACC cancel its non-conference games.
Kelly can maintain his confidence that football will be played this fall, but many around the sport feel differently. Momentum is building towards moving the season to spring 2021, even more so since the chances of finishing an entire season this fall are minuscule.