Report: A spring College Football season would be a ‘last resort’
Report: Spring College Football would be a ‘last resort’
College Football fans around the country are patiently waiting with anticipation to hear about the fate of the 2020 season.
While everyone wants to see College Football played, the question of safety and health of student-athletes, as well as all others involved has become a major discussion point over the course of the last few weeks.
Many College Football analysts, including the likes of Paul Finebaum and Kirk Herbstreit, have remained fairly skeptical that a season will happen. Even those who are the most optimistic believe there will be major changes, including capacity limits on fan attendance.
That being said, one of the most-discussed options for College Football in the mainstream media has been potentially moving the season to the spring. The Ivy League is expected to announce a move to the spring for its football season and many have wondered what that might mean for the Power-5 moving forward.
Ivy League expected to announce today its moving football season to spring. However, sources told @Stadium don’t expect FBS to automatically make same decision. Source: “Doubt Ivies have much influence (w/FBS schools). They aren’t as vulnerable financially."
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 8, 2020
Despite those thoughts on the Ivy League being the first potential ‘domino,’ Bleacher Report’s Senior National CFB Writer Matt Hayes is reporting a much different story currently.
It’s easy for the Ivy League, with collective billions in endowments, to say let’s wait for spring — even when there’s no guarantee spring will be safer than the fall. It’s a no-brainer for them.
— Matt Hayes (@MattHayesCFB) July 8, 2020
It’s diametrically different for FBS.
Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott: "Everyone is looking around the country and taking an interest in what they do, but I don't think it's going to have any bearing on what we do.” https://t.co/7pJL7gq8W9
— Matt Hayes (@MattHayesCFB) July 8, 2020
One more P5 official this AM texting me about 2nd semester FB, copied and pasted: “Matt, are you serious? We have NO idea what Feb-April will look like with the virus. It is absolutely last resort.”
— Matt Hayes (@MattHayesCFB) July 7, 2020
College Football will only be played in the spring as a last resort
While there is still questions about what the season will look like and if non-conference games will be played at all, there is a growing surge from anyone with ‘inside sources’ in the Power-5: Spring games will only be played as a last resort.
Some may argue we’ve already reached that last resort, but it certainly doesn’t seem that the Power-5 Conference Commissioners, University Presidents, Athletic Directors or others involved have reached that conclusion currently.
It will be interesting to see how things develop over the course of the next few weeks heading into late-July when decisions have to be made, but all signs point to officials continue to plan for a fall season until otherwise having to abort those plans.
dark. Next. How long until Deshaun Watson gets Patrick Mahomes money?
Nothing is set in stone currently and things are ever-changing. College Football officials are going to try their hardest to play this fall, even if that means playing a shortened season or only conference games, but that still doesn’t mean that spring football is out the door at this point.