Schiano mum on whether NCAA should play or not

Greg Schiano declined to offer his opinion. He also couldn’t answer whether the powers that be in college football are doing the right thing by trying to have a season amid the continued havoc the novel coronavirus pandemic is creating in this country.

“I don’t know? You just put everything on permanent hold?” the Rutgers’ football coach said on a video call with reporters. “Those are all questions that are above my knowledge and I’m trying to get knowledge on this.

“You try to gather as much information as you can, and that’s what I’ve been trying to do.”

As schools across the country have tried to take the first step to playing in the fall by bringing players back to campus for voluntary workouts in recent weeks, positive cases have arisen at several prominent programs that have cast doubt on the ability to start the season on time, or play it in the fall at all. Clemson had 28 positive tests for the virus. Texas had 13 players test positive. At least 30 LSU players were placed in quarantine, either for positive tests or being in contact with someone who had one, according to Sports Illustrated.

Rutgers, which began workouts on June 15, has had two positive tests so far, with three others in quarantine as a precaution for coming into contact with one of the positive cases.

“You cannot reduce risk to zero,” Schiano said. “How can you prepare for a season and eliminate as much risk as you can? You have to grow understanding of the big three: social distancing, a mask and washing our hands.”

Formal workouts are allowed to begin in July, after the NCAA Division I Council approved the Football Oversight’s Committee’s plan on Thursday. That allows teams to start holding meetings and walk-throughs on July 24 and preseason practices no earlier than Aug. 7.