The 2020 college football season is slated to start in less than three weeks. Despite this, it seems the powers that be are still engaging in conversations about whether the season will be played, canceled or pushed to the spring.
Now comes this piece of interesting information suggesting that conversations are ongoing within at least one Power Five conference.
Big Ten having “contentious” discussions about CFB season
There’s a whole heck of a lot to unwrap in one tweet. Let’s break it down some.
Spring college football season
It’s rather interesting that those within the Big Ten just now started discussing the possibility of the 2020 college football season being played next spring. It’s something that has been bandied about around the country for months now. That’s not hyperbole.
The foot dragging on this topic has to be seen as concerning. One would believe the powers that be would be looking at all contingency plans since the pandemic led to professional sports leagues suspending their seasons back in March. After all, we’re five months to the day since the 2019-20 NBA season was suspended. Five months.
Split within the Big Ten regarding 2020 college football season
We have already heard Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and Scott Frost of Nebraska push back against the idea that the season should be canceled. Both believe that players are safer within the confines of a University setting than at home.
There’s an argument to be made for this. Give student-athletes more structure, and they’re likely to follow protocols set forth by national health experts. On the other hand, canceling the college football season would not force kids to go back home. They’d be able to stay on campus and get workouts in. That kinda makes the points Harbaugh and Frost have gone on record supporting moot.
PAC-12 to decide on 2020 college football season
It’s looking more and more like the PAC-12 will not be playing college football this fall. University presidents will make a final determination with a vote likely coming Tuesday.
If the Pac-12 season is canceled, there’s a chance that teams who want to play this fall will join another conference. Then again, there’s a major rift between players in the conference and the broader NCAA as it relates to the risk-reward of playing amid the pandemic and the economic landscape of the amateur athlete right now.
As of right bow, the Big Ten appears to be in a holding pattern. Meanwhile, the SEC, ACC and Big 12 all appear willing to forge ahead with plans to play during the fall.
What happens over the next couple days will have wide-ranging ramifications on the 2020 season and the future of college football in general.