Will College Football Have A Season In 2020?
Apr 2, 2020, 1:11 PM
General view of Rice-Eccles Stadium prior to the game between the Brigham Young Cougars and the Utah Utes on November 24, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images)
(Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – There has been a lot of speculation, mainly on the internet, surrounding the possible outcomes for the 2020 college football season. Some athletic directors have reportedly been pushing to start the season in June/July with the intention to get the season started before the peak of the coronavirus hits the States, others are in favor of canceling non-conference games and only playing the conference schedule. Maybe you would prefer to see the season be postponed until January or February of 2021? Who knows, what if the season is canceled altogether?
Let’s use common sense to help us try and navigate through the chaos.
*Disclaimer: I am not a health expert.
Dark Clouds Loom Over The 2020 CBF Season
The World Health Organization (WHO), as well as other health experts, has been adamant about reminding the public that a vaccine for the coronavirus will likely take 12 to 18 months. Who knows how long a cure will take, that all depends on how efficient the testing goes, it could very easily take longer than the estimated time to find a vaccine.
With no vaccine or cure in sight, why would anybody think that the college football season will go ahead without any temporary changes?
Personally, I think the most likely outcome is that the college football season is canceled. However, I am hoping that the NCAA finds a way to at least postpone the season until early next year.
I have a really hard time wrapping my head around how the college football season will take place as it was originally scheduled in the fall, and if they somehow find a way to do so, then you should expect significant changes to what we consider a “normal” season.
There will be no fans in stadiums. No way. The only way you will be able to follow along is via your television or radio dial.
All players, staff and team personnel will be tested for the coronavirus upon arrival to the stadium. If someone tests positive then the game will not take place and the season will be put on halt immediately. That is assuming that they can at least get the test wait times down to 15 minutes or so, which is what some health experts are claiming.
Both myself and Steve Bartle, hosts of the It’s Utah’s World podcast, discussed this topic in our recent episode. We both agreed that the chances of the 2020 college football season taking place as originally planned, is slim.
Which led us to our next topic of conversation.
Would you rather the college football season take place in the fall, without fans? Or would you be willing to wait another four or five months to get college football back in the winter/spring of 2021 when fans are allowed and (more importantly) feel comfortable going to games?
Bartle, the football-loving junky himself, admitted to not being able to wait. He wants college football and wants it in the fall no matter the circumstances.
I, however, would rather wait for the coronavirus crisis to dwindle before any college football makes a return.
Best Case Scenario
It would be rude of me to have you finish this article thinking that the college football season is well and truly over before it even started.
The best-case scenario, in my opinion, is that the hot summer sun that is quickly approaching North America works its wonders and quickly helps limit the spread of the virus. Let’s not forget, the two most recent coronavirus epidemics, MERS and SARS, were both slowed down significantly once the summer season hit North America.
Of course, there is still a chance that the 2020 college football season takes place. At this point in time, COVID-19 is still very new and scientists from around the world are working day and night to try and find a vaccine and cure. All it will take is one breakthrough and who knows, maybe the virus can be beaten much sooner than we are currently being told.
Tom Hackett is a Utah and Real Salt Lake Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the It’s Utah’s World Podcast (Utah Football themed) and The Lion’s Den Podcast (Real Salt Lake themed). Follow him on Twitter: @TomCantHackett.
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