Return to normal wrapped in change
The 2021 college football season holds the promise of a return to normal after a pandemic-wrecked fall led to cancellations, postponements and headache after headache.
The games are on. Fans are getting ready to head back into the stadiums.
At the same time, college sports is entering a new era, with less-restrictive transfer rules and players who are permitted for the first time to be paid endorsers.
And the pandemic is not over. While there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic that this season won’t be the struggle 2020 was, there is still more than a little uncertainty about how this all plays out — off the field and on as No. 1 Alabama tries to win a second consecutive national title against a host of challengers.
“It’s an interesting time,” North Carolina coach Mack Brown said.
Is it ever.
THE PANDEMIC >> The season is a go, unaltered at this point, with all the conferences onboard —- unlike last year at this time. Vaccination rates among college football teams appear to be significantly ahead of the general adult population.
Last season, 118 Bowl Subdivision games were either canceled or postponed as teams battled COVID-19. There will be no rescheduling of games in 2021. Conferences have said teams will be forced to forfeit if they can’t field a team because of COVID-19 issues.
Health and safety protocols are still not uniform across all of major college football, but the common ground is this: Unlike last year when everyone was being tested frequently for the virus, only unvaccinated players and team personnel will be subject to routine surveillance testing. Only unvaccinated individuals will be automatically
quarantined if they come into contact with someone infected with the virus.
“That gives us a competitive advantage in my mind, as we should not miss any time as a football team due to COVID,” new Arizona coach Jedd Fisch said before the school proudly tweeted the team had reached 100% vaccination status.
Many coaches have been publicly encouraging vaccination.
“I think it’s irresponsible to not to get the vaccine,” said Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, whose team also is 100% vaccinated.
Not every coach is taking this approach. Washington State’s Nick Rolovich initially said he did not plan to be vaccinated on a campus where it is mandatory for all students and employees before saying he would comply with a governor’s mandate.
Where the pandemic could have a deeper impact is with fans. The number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths has been on the rise. But schools have been touting a return to full-capacity stadiums and tailgating after a season of playing in mostly empty buildings.
“I’m really excited, man,
just to get back in The Swamp finally with 90,000 screaming out there,” Florida defensive end Zach Carter said.
It seems unlikely those plans will change unless local governments step in, which happened last week in Hawaii. The Rainbow Warriors’ opening game against Portland State on Sept. 5 will be played without fans.
Oregon and Oregon State became the first Power Five schools to announce fans will need to show proof of either vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to attend their games.
“I think disruptions that players had to deal with, and may still have to deal with in the future relative to our circumstance right now, (are) probably something that helps them be a little more resilient,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said.
SUPER SENIORS AND TRANSFERS >> The NCAA froze eligibility for every football player who played through the uncertainty of the pandemic last season, essentially handing them another year to play if they wished.
The result is hundreds of players who would have
otherwise had no choice but to move on after 2020 will be back playing in 2021. Call them super seniors, and they won’t count against the scholarship limit of 85. Other players are back after opting out of 2020.
Longtime Utah coach Kyle Whittingham described his roster, brimming with extra experienced players, as “the most unique since I’ve been a football coach.”
Then there are the transfers.
After an NCAA rule change in the spring, football players can now transfer one time and be immediately eligible to play. For decades, transferring players would have to sit out their first season after switching schools. It led to more player movement than ever.
“Transfer portal’s changed everything. Super seniors coming back has changed everything,” Brown said.
ATHLETE COMPENSATION >> The NCAA lifted its ban on college athletes earning money from their names, images and likenesses on July 1, and football players started cashing in immediately.