ACC believes season can proceed safely
The ACC has studied COVID-19-related heart complications among a small group of athletes, but Florida State President John Thrasher says league leaders still feel confident in their safety protocols and are planning to play college football in the fall.
Power Five conference commissioners met during the weekend to discuss whether to postpone the 2020 football season and reviewed a report from an NCAA doctor about a potential correlation between healthy athletes who were infected with COVID-19 and later developed myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart muscle.
Concerns about potential heart complications among athletes reportedly helped convince Big Ten and Pac-12 presidents to postpone football until the spring.
Thrasher, however, does not see the still-developing research of the issue as a reason to call off college football games this fall.
“Our presidents met two days ago, and we went through all of that,” Thrasher said during a news conference Tuesday with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and FSU coach Mike Norvell during which they all endorsed playing football as scheduled.
“And the issues presented, frankly, none of them we had not considered before. We did agree that we ought to go look at the medial aspects again just one more time to make sure our protocols and the other teams’ protocols were in place, and we’ve been doing that.
“I feel relatively certain that the ACC is aligned with us and they want to play for the same reasons that have been outlined.”
The Southeastern Conference and ACC reiterated Tuesday night they are aligned with Florida State in statements responding to the Big Ten and Pac-12 decisions.
“The ACC will continue to make decisions based on medical advice, inclusive of our Medical
Advisory Group, local and state health guidelines, and do so in a way that appropriately coincides with our universities’ academic missions,” the league said in a statement. “The safety of our students, staff and overall campus communities will always be our top priority, and we are pleased with the protocols being administrated on our 15 campuses.
“We will continue to follow our process that has been in place for months and has served us well. We understand the need to stay flexible and be prepared to adjust as medical information and the landscape evolves.”
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said during an interview Tuesday morning and in a statement released in the evening he remains confident in the league’s safety protocols.
“I look forward to learning more about the factors that led the Big Ten and Pac-12 leadership to take these actions today,” Sankey said in a statement. “I remain comfortable with the thorough and deliberate approach that the SEC and our 14 members are taking to support a healthy environment for our student-athletes.
“We will continue to further refine our policies and protocols for a safe return to sports as we monitor developments around COVID-19 in a continued effort to support, educate and care for our student-athletes every day.”
As word spread Sunday and Monday that the Big Ten and Pac-12 were planning to shut down fall sports, players, coaches and conference leaders around the country posted on social media they were eager to play. FSU leaders joined DeSantis and members of the Seminoles football team to endorse playing with safety protocol in place.
“I’ve been playing football since I was in second grade. Every year, it’s been school and football and it’s so weird that we’re having this conversation about us not playing,” said FSU defensive end Joshua Kaindoh, who suffered a lower-leg injury that cut his 2019 season short after three games. “Last year, I had a deal with my leg and had my season taken away from me. It’s the first time I’ve had football taken away from me.
“I’ve put in so much work, day in and day out … to get to the point where we are at right now and to have the season potentially taken away, it would be heartbreaking.”
FSU junior wide receiver Keyshawn Helton, who appeared in six games last season before suffering a season-ending knee injury, also is eager to get back on the field.
“To have a season taken away from me, another year of not playing football would be a disappointment,” he said.
Kaindoh and Helton said the school is the best place for the players to be during the pandemic.
“Here with all the protocols and procedures that are going on, I don’t know where it would be safer,” Kaindoh said. “If we’re out there and just doing our own thing, where’s the accountability?”
Added Helton: “This is safest environment for us.”
Norvell said FSU has invested in providing a safe environment for the football program. the
“I’ve got to commend President Thrasher and [AD] David Coburn and all of our athletic training faculty, everybody that’s in place within the medical community that has set up a protocol to keep our guys safe and to be able to provide them with a facility that they can come to every single day and know they get to follow their dreams,” Norvell said.
Thrasher said the school has done everything possible to make it safe for the players and coaches to prepare for the 2020 season, providing daily safety measures and frequent testing. He said the school has its own lab on campus that can process a COVID-19 test in less than 24 hours.
“That’s a huge advantage for us,” Thrasher said. “I think other schools are trying to do the same thing.”
The message Tuesday from Florida State and the state of Florida was clear.
“Discussions about short-circuiting the entire season are entirely misplaced and I support Florida State continuing to play the season, as I do all the sports throughout the state of Florida,” DeSantis said.
“I think taking that would do lasting damage.” away