The LSU Tigers just finished out arguably the best season in college football history, but how quickly will they get the chance to run it back?
The coronavirus pandemic has had a drastic impact on sports since it first began taking its toll on them in the United States back in March, and the postponements and cancellations have started to extend to fall sports.
The Ivy League has already called off football in the fall, and the National Junior College Athletic Association plans to announce its football season will be moved to the spring.
“We must adjust accordingly to support and sustain NJCAA programs,” NJCAA president Christopher Parker said in a statement. “The association as a whole is collectively working to provide the best opportunities to be successful on and off the field for our student-athletes.”
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The ACC has discussed moving to a conference-only football schedule, and both the Big Ten and the PAC-12 have decided to play only opponents within the conference. The Big 12 hasn’t made a decision about the schedule just yet, with commissioner Bob Bowlsby recently recently telling ESPN that his league is still “kind of on the same schedule.”
So, where does the SEC stand in all of this?
Commissioner Greg Sankey said last week his level of concern toward the issue was “high to very high,” and that the “direct reality is not good.”
He also said in the interview that there needs to be notable changes in coronavirus numbers and behaviors related to the pandemic before schools can think about playing the sport in a safe way.
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Yep…that’s exactly what I said…and have been saying. I want to provide the opportunity for college athletics to be part of the fall, but we need to all consider our behavior to make possible what right now appears very difficult. “The direct reality is not good…” https://t.co/z3pHGeMIa9
— Greg Sankey (@GregSankey) July 11, 2020
It will be interesting to see if the SEC follows suit in making changes such as cancelling the season, postponing the season or at least altering the schedule as the situation continues to evolve.
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