The 2020 college football season is just a few months away with thousands of athletes on campus preparing to hit the gridiron this fall. Unfortunately, with the COVID-19 pandemic worsening, the odds of seeing college football this year are dwindling.
‘Increased momentum’ building to move 2020 college football season to spring semester
The NCAA lifted its moratorium on voluntary workouts for student-athletes beginning on June 1. A move that was supposed to be a major step toward college football being played this fall, has turned into a major factor in COVID-19 spreading across over a hundred collegiate athletes.
As cases skyrocketed across universities, the virus also hit some of the biggest states across the country. States like Florida, California and Texas reported record-highs for new daily cases seemingly every other day. On July 2, the United States set the global record for new COVID-19 cases recorded in a single day.
Now, according to The New York Post, the spikes in cases and looming risks have led to increased momentum toward moving the upcoming college football season to the spring semester. Talk is increasing in recent weeks about taking the cautious approach and delaying collegiate sports until 2021, when things will be safer and a vaccine could be closer.
“What’s most sensible is the spring,” one Power Five athletic director said, via the New York Post. “I understand the desire to have it in the fall, and there are challenges if you move all of your fall sports into the spring with all of your spring sports. But the argument here is: We will learn from the NFL experience. To put big-time college football in the spring, in likely an abbreviated season — maybe it’s only a conference format, eight- or nine-game season — we are going to have learned much more about the virus.”
The level of concern across the country is legitimate. Pac-12 commissioner was one of the most optimistic athletic officials about playing football this fall. After seeing the recent spikes across the country, including on college campuses, Scott now believes the season is “a lot more perilous” than even a few weeks ago.
While it’s not the scenario anyone in the NCAA hoped for, Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley already recognizes it football in the spring is viable. Given how the pandemic is unfolding, more prominent voices now seem to feel the same.
COVID-19 cases among college football players
Since the moratorium on voluntary workouts ended, there has been a massive spike in COVID-19 cases among student-athletes.
- Kansas Jayhawks suspended workouts after 12 players test positive for COVID-19.
- Texas Tech reported 23 football players and staff tested positive
- The LSU Tigers quarantined 30 football players and more than a dozen contracted the virus.
- Clemson revealed that 37 players tested positive for the virus.
- Texas Longhorns announced 13 football players test positive for COVID-19
- The University of Colorado announced two of its players tested positive this week
- Six student-athletes at the University of Houston contracted the virus
- Two Kansas State football players worked out with teammates while they had the coronavirus