5. There may not even be a 2020 season
It’s no secret that the 2020 season may not get started on time, and that it may even be in jeopardy as a whole. The world has changed quite a bit in just a few weeks, and what felt like an impossibility is now, unfortunately, a very real possibility.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced cancellations of virtually everything but pro wrestling at this point, so it’s hard to imagine that, unless the curve has been firmly flattened by August, that football would not follow the same fate that befell March Madness, the NBA and the UFC.
This isn’t a new idea, many have already hypothesized the same thing. Kirk Herbstreit stated that he’d be “surprised” if football is played this season.
It was truly confounding to watch the reactions to that statement. Brian Kelly was the loudest voice, ripping Herbstreit and saying “he’s not a scientist, he’s a college football analyst” (Kelly conveniently left out the fact that he too is not a scientist, but just a college football coach, before offering his own take on how the pandemic would affect football).
The many voices in the college football media that have expressed concern about football season, and even suggested it may be cancelled, have been met with similar vitriol, and it continues to be perplexing.
Do fans think college football media members want the sport that cashes their paychecks to be cancelled? Why, in any situation, would anyone want less sports?
Preparing for the worst is not the same as hoping for the worst. Herbstreit, along with myself and every other person that covers the sport, wants full college football Saturdays in a few months.
However, the situation in front of us is plain as day. There’s a virus threatening lives across the country, and we stop it by avoiding as much physical interaction as possible. Considering the amount of physical interaction that takes place in a football game, that is a recipe for infection.
No one is happy that we may not have football. No one will jump for joy if the announcement that the NCAA has cancelled the season comes across our Twitter feeds.
It won’t be the decision that we want, but it is the one that we may need. The situation will be assessed by medical people far smarter than any coach or analyst, and if this pandemic is still a significant threat, it will be the right decision.
Everyone is hoping for the best, but it’d be unrealistic to not prepare for the worst.