There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the 2020 college football season, and it could lead to some of the game’s biggest stars skipping out altogether.
College football players may eschew season to prepare for 2021 NFL Draft
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Monday that his NFL sources have told him “several star players could sit out the collegiate season.”
Taking it a step further, one NFL executive told Fowler that “any player who has a chance to go Rounds 1-7 of the draft will consider sitting out.”
The big reason to sit out, of course, is that players wouldn’t want to risk injury. And as Fowler noted, the NFL’s All-Star games for college players could give them enough exposure without having to undergo a full college season.
It’s worth pointing out that this isn’t the first time we’ve heard reports that top college football stars could sit out the 2020 season if it is moved to the spring of 2021.
NCAA president put 2020 college football season in doubt due to COVID-19
Last week, NCAA President Mark Emmert made it clear that there’s a chance we won’t see college football this fall. Citing the incredible spike in positive COVID-19 cases around the United States, he stressed that things have to get better before schools can allow their student-athletes to take the field.
“When we made the extremely difficult decision to cancel last spring’s championships it was because there was simply no way to conduct them safely,” Emmert said, via the governing body’s official website. “This document lays out the advice of health care professionals as to how to resume college sports if we can achieve an environment where COVID-19 rates are manageable. Today, sadly, the data point in the wrong direction. If there is to be college sports in the fall, we need to get a much better handle on the pandemic.”
Taking it a step further, Emmert hinted there is a chance that the entire season might end up being canceled if things don’t improve.