Athletic officials weigh football options
Holgorsen says ‘it’s wait-and-see’ as president unveils plan to reopen
As University of Houston president Renu Khator on Thursday unveiled a plan to reopen campus in the fall, the school’s athletic officials remain in a “wait-and-see” mode.
Talks continue at the national level of what role sports, including college football scheduled to begin in late August, will have in the government’s plan to reopen America amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
In an email to faculty and staff, Khator outlined a plan for the UH system to resume face-to-face instruction in the fall. That includes three possible methods: fully online, fully oncampus and a hybrid form.
Whether college football returns in the fall or is delayed largely will depend on whether students return to campus and the comfort level that measures are in place to keep athletes, coaches, staff and fans safe. Ideas being floated include moving the football season from the fall to the winter or spring, a shortened season and games being played in empty stadiums.
A UH athletic spokesman said Thursday the school is exploring what a timeline may look like, including when athletes will be allowed back on campus and when training could resume. The American Athletic Conference suspended all spring sports competitions, including spring football practice, on March 12.
“No one knows what fall is going to look like,” UH football coach Dana Holgorsen said in a text message. “We don’t even know what June will look like. It’s waitand-see.”
Shortly after the COVID-19 shutdown in mid-March, Holgorsen expressed optimism that football will be played in the fall.
“This sports hiatus that we’re going through is something like we’ve never seen before,” Holgorsen said. “I’m optimistic it’s going to end at some point here, especially going into the fall of 2020. We need football to bring everybody back together. I’m optimistic that’s going to happen.”
In a message to school leadership on April 20, Khator pointed out that the school’s student-athletes continue to meet virtually and work out individually as they prepare for when campus reopens.
“One of the biggest questions in the sports world is whether there will be college football this fall,” Khator said. “Athletic conferences and individual colleges are making plans for every possible scenario, including a late start, a truncated season and a no-fan competition.”
AAC commissioner Mike Aresco said it will take from six to eight weeks to prepare for the start of the football season. A final decision, Aresco said, will come from the NCAA with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Representatives from the NCAA and College Football Playoff joined other professional sports leagues earlier this week on a conference call with Seema Verma, a member of the White House coronavirus task force.
To have enough time to begin the season as planned, most believe a decision will be needed by early June. Of course, that will depend if areas throughout the country see a reduction in COVID-19 cases and whether testing is readily available.
During an interview in late March, Aresco said it was “pointless to speculate” how the public health crisis could affect the football season.
“What’s going to happen with football season? No one knows right now,” Aresco said.