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The hits keep coming this week, with college football still trying to figure out if, when and how it will play a 2020 fall season amidst the novel coronavirus pandemic.
At the top of the news, USA TODAY Sports’ Paul Myerberg asks if the College Football Playoff can go on despite the Big Ten and Pac-12 bowing out of the year. With the madness and uncertainty that COVID-19 has brought into the sports world, is a championship among the remaining teams really worth it?
Meanwhile, in Columbus, Ohio State will not pursue a fall season despite rumors to the contrary, according to Athletic Director Gene Smith. The OSU AD offered the following statement.
“Ohio State has continued its communications with the Big Ten Conference regarding a scenario to still play fall football game but has now determined that this would not be an allowable opportunity for us to move forward. We are 100 percent focused on supporting the health and safety and academic success of our student-athletes and on working with the Big Ten to develop a spring plan for our sports as expeditiously as possible.”
And last, but not least, Dan Wolken gives his opinion on Nebraska bailing out on Big Ten, claiming that it may be more than bluster. The Cornhuskers have themselves in a bit of a pickle, but it has yet to be determined if it was the right move or not.
Around the Swamp
- Southeastern Conference planning to move forward with football season: On one side, the Big Ten and Pac-12 have canceled the fall 2020 sports season. On the other, the SEC, ACC and Big 12 are all moving toward the start of a football season this fall.
- Five key short-term questions facing college sports due to the coronavirus: There are dozens if not hundreds of important questions to ask about college sports, but let’s try to identify the five most urgent short-term questions facing the industry.
- Ten key long-term questions facing college sports due to the coronavirus: Let’s consider “long-term” the next five to 10 years, given that the next three or four years will be marked by so much churn and disruption that it will be hard to make sense of everything until the smoke begins to clear.
- Will ‘splash shields’ actually work for the 2020 college football season?: Of course, this season will be unlike any we’ve seen before in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, and “splash shields” are one thing that’s being tried to protect players from contracting the virus.
It’s great to be a Florida Gator!
3️⃣0️⃣9️⃣ assists.
1️⃣6️⃣4️⃣ steals.#TBT to the PG Justin Hamilton. #GatorsHoop pic.twitter.com/7eLfivRani— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) August 13, 2020
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