With COVID-19 cases spiking in much of the country, discussions have turned to whether or not there will actually be a college football season. This is after there was some significant hope that there would be an on-time start to the season.
Both the Big Ten and Pac-12 have already announced conference-only games this fall, but one has to wonder if that’s where it’ll end. What if there’s an outbreak of COVID-19 on a team? How does quarantine work, and what happens with the re-scheduling of games that might not be able to take place?
That’s just some of the questions that will have to be hammered out. But can they be? Is it even possible? Some don’t think so, and that’s why some of the discussions have turned to moving the college football season to spring to give time for a vaccine, treatment, or better management and understanding of the novel coronavirus.
However, when asked about that potential, former Ohio State head coach and FOX College Football analyst Urban Meyer basically says good luck making that happen too.
“When you play a long season and when you get to spring practice,” Meyer said on a segment on Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff. “When you play 2,000 competitive reps, your body is not ready for contact in three months or two months. It’s not. I would not put those players in harm’s way.”
Meyer then went on to reiterate player safety, which is always championed as paramount in college athletics.
“You talk about student-athlete welfare,” Meyer said. “No chance — you’re not doing that.”
On BIG NOON KICKOFF: THE OFFSEASON, @Coach_EdOrgeron talks about what’s next for LSU and reminisces about his days at USC with Matt and Reggie.
➕ The guys discuss the latest news, including the possibility of spring football.
💻7:00 PM ET on @CFBONFOX pic.twitter.com/tEsgs7ShMz
— FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) July 8, 2020
Meyer has a point. The game of football is a grind and the body takes a significant beating. There’s also the little issue with the NFL Draft that is set for April of next year. If the season runs beyond that, the NFL has already reportedly taken a stance on not moving it, so that creates some issues for guys that expect to go at the top of the draft.
Meyer believes many would simply skip the college football altogether in that case.
“If I’m Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields, or (Chris) Olave, some of these high, high draft picks — I’m not playing,” Meyer said. “I’m getting to go make some money and go earn a living and support my family.”
There are so many obstacles and issues that will have to be addressed in order to have a college football season whether it be this fall, or otherwise. We’ll all just have to wait and see. And hope.
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