College Football Has Become Key Political Issue: Unchecked

President Donald Trump's call with Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren has officially politicized college football.

Well, college football is officially a political issue.

In many ways sports have been the source of some of the most significant conversations around topics such as the still-ongoing pandemic and the current movement against social injustice and police brutality.

ESPN has gone all in on its coverage of athletes who have joined protests and spoken out about the death of Black Americans such as George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police. https://t.co/QL462gULsv

— CNN (@CNN) September 1, 2020

Now, college football has undoubtedly become politicized and in fact may even be a key issue when it comes to the upcoming election, as evidenced by President Donald Trump calling Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren in an attempt to get the conference's postponed fall season back on track.

Trump realizes that the absence of college football this fall will be a regular reminder in states like Wisconsin and Minnesota of how poorly he handled the coronavirus https://t.co/e8n3eYTizx

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 29, 2020

I definitely don’t think it’s coincidence this appeal comes to a conference filled with swing states and following a targeted ad from Joe Biden and Kamala Harris blaming Trump for empty stadiums.

NEW: Biden digital ad targets sports fans, showing footage of empty stadiums due to the COVID-19 pandemic

The campaign has taken over the YouTube masthead nationwide w/ a 30-second version, as well as CBS Sports

Targeted versions running in AZ, PA, MI, and WI pic.twitter.com/uJQFcHL9uR

— Johnny Verhovek (@JTHVerhovek) August 28, 2020

Leveraging the state of college football certainly makes sense strategically, as no U.S. president has won the election without carrying Ohio since 1960 and no Republican has ever been elected without taking the Buckeye State. And the teams that typically would be on Ohio State's schedule make up many of the other battleground areas.

This, of course, is all independent of safety concerns, the desire that players and coaches have to play, or any of the other actual issues that should be considered when approaching the viability of the season. Instead, it appears to be completely based around how America seemingly cares about football more than anything else. 

College football is essential. What do opponents of football think, these kids will end up in a bubble without it? You can get COVID anywhere.

There are forces who want to cancel everything to avoid risk at all societal costs. It’s foolish. We have to balance risk & costs.

— Governor Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) August 11, 2020

For a fan base that I'd bet would be the first to say they don't want politics in sports, college football has become fully and officially politicized.

Keep politics OUT of college football please.

— Jamil (JJ) (@huskers2k24jj) September 2, 2020

And the importance around Michigan and Ohio State now has a very different meaning when it comes to the fall of 2020.