Vice President Mike Pence was in Baton Rouge on Tuesday participating in a forum discussing safely reopening colleges and universities while also resuming sports.
LSU head football coach Ed Orgeron also participated in the panel and told the vice president how much football was needed.
“We have our team back. They’re ready to go,” Orgeron said. “We need football. We need to play. This state needs it, this country needs it.”
.@Coach_EdOrgeron: “We need football.” pic.twitter.com/AwzP9ItnVS
— Elizabeth Crisp (@elizabethcrisp) July 14, 2020
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Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, United States Secretary of Education Betsy Devos, LSU athletic director Scott Woodward and a host of others, including politicians and medical experts participated in the discussion.
Orgeron noted that a number of players did test positive for COVID-19 once they returned to campus this summer, but all were recovered and doing well.
Pence acknowledged how important it was for all schools to reopen on time, but safely, per Sam Karlin of The Advocate.
“Getting our kids back into schools is the right thing to do academically, but it’s also the right thing to do for our children,” Pence said.
The vice president admitted the recent surge of cases in the South was a concern but expressed optimism that each of the states would get the outbreak of the virus back under control.
With around six weeks remaining until the opening of college football season, there is still time for the 2020 season to go on as planned.
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