The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Teams cautious in uncertain season
An overused coaching cliche is most relevant as teams begin a season of coronavirus: Take it one day at a time.
A most overused coaching cliche has never been so relevant as college football embarks on a season of COVID-19: Take it one day at a time.
With so much uncertainty, trying to figure how this will go is impossible.
But there will be games, including a few this weekend, though the usual Labor Day grand opening has been scrapped.
The 2020 season will be a story about what was lost, what was salvaged and what was gained in reaction to all the disorder.
This also could be the first of two over the next eight months.
It figures to be weird and worrisome.
What we know and what’s still to be determined:
WHO IS (AND ISN’T) PLAYING? » What is most commonly referred to as major college football (NCAA Division I Bowl Subdivision or FBS) is comprised of 130 teams and 10 conferences. Seventyseven of those teams are scheduled to play throughout the fall, starting at various times in September. The other 53, including the entire Big Ten and Pac-12, have postponed their seasons and are hoping to make them up later. That means no No. 2 Ohio State, No. 7 Penn State, No. 9 Oregon and six other teams that were ranked in the preseason AP Top 25.
Among the three other so-called Power Five Conferences, the Southeastern Conference (10 games for each team, starting Sept. 26), Atlantic Coast Conference (11 games, Sept. 12) and Big 12 (10 games, Sept. 12) have schedules in place. None will be playing each other. The SEC is playing no games out of conference. ACC and Big 12 teams will play one nonconference game at home.
All those compelling early season nonconference matchups and the traditional late-season, crossconference rivalry games won’t be played in 2020.
The American Athletic Conference, Conference USA and Sun Belt are also playing, trying to get as close to a normal 12-game season as they can. Independents BYU and Army have practically rebuilt their schedules from scratch. Famously independent Notre Dame fixed its scheduling problem by joining the ACC for football this season only.
As for the players, a few dozen have already opted out, including some big stars such as LSU All-America receiver Ja’Marr Chase, Pitt defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman and Miami defensive end Gregory Rousseau.
COVID-19 PROTOCOLS » The ACC, Big 12 and SEC have all mandated coronavirus testing of players three times per week during the season and the other conferences are expected to do the same.
Positive tests will send players to isolation for at least 10 days and players deemed to be close contacts to those who test positive will be quarantined for 14 days.
During games, there will be masks worn on sidelines.
Some schools, such as North Carolina and Pittsburgh, will have no fans in attendance at their games, at least when the season starts. Many others will have reduced crowds, ranging from 20%-25% capacity, to start the season.
The pageantry of college football — the bands, cheerleaders and mascots — will mostly be missing this fall.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A
PLAYER (OR COACH) TESTS POSITIVE? » Athletic directors, conference commissioners and even coaches have acknowledged they expect disruptions this season. The reason why Power Five leagues altered schedules was to provide more flexibility for postponements.
Positive tests leading to players and staff being isolated and quarantined have already contributed to three FBS games being postponed, including North Carolina State at Virginia Tech, which was scheduled Sept. 12 but has been pushed back to Sept. 26.
How this works is difficult to predict. The Big 12 is trying to come up with a minimum number of players available that would require a team to play.
“As long as you have at least 53 players certified to play, and you’ve got at least the minimum number and every one of those positions comprising that 53, then you have to play,” Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard said.