Fowler "Convinced" there will be a College Football Season

University of Colorado alumnus Chris Fowler has been a much-needed rational voice around college football during this pandemic.

His Instagram has become a must-follow for those that want an informed take on the world of sports.

This past weekend he went on his Instagram and made a seven-minute video discussing the topic of the 2020 college football season.

His goal was to answer the question everybody is wondering and pondering, “Will we have a college football season that unfolds normally?”

Fowler’s response?

“That’s impossible.”

But he said the good news is he is convinced there will be some sort of season in the 2020-21 calendar year.

Fowler laid out three scenarios for what a season could look like:

The first one is the simplest but is also the least likely. The season begins on-time and isn’t altered much besides maybe pushing it back a couple of weeks to allow teams to practice. There would likely be no fans at the games, at least until there is a vaccine or herd immunity.

This would only happen if the health experts, state and local government officials all give the go-ahead. He points out that college football is different from every other sport because most of them are public institutions and the workers (players) are unpaid. So there are more hurdles to jump over.

“Scenario one is what we hope for but it doesn’t feel super realistic,” Fowler said.

Scenario two is one that has been more commonly speculated. The season starts late, say late October or November, and part of it will be in 2020 while the other part in 2021. The season may have to be cut short.

And it will really be cut short if there is a second wave of the virus in the wintertime as some experts have speculated. In that case, the season will end abruptly which would be a “disaster” for college football as Fowler puts it.

The third scenario might be the most likely, “On the surface might sound preposterous but a lot of reasonable people feel it’s the most prudent course of action,” Fowler said.

The scenario is football in the spring beginning in February or March and finishing the season in May or June.

In this scenario, there is likely a vaccine close or herd immunity, strict and fast testing for both the virus and antibodies. That way all of the precautions have been taken. Fans could likely be able to attend the games, especially with a vaccine present.

Universities can avoid the financial disaster of not having a football season.

There will still be hurdles that schools and coaches will have to jump through. How could a season finish in June and start back up again in August? What do you do with 2021 early enrollees? Could they be eligible to play?

It does not eliminate the question marks but it could be the smartest decision in the long run according to Fowler.

Fowler said he expects a decision about whether or not the season will start on time by the end of May. He points out a lot can happen between now and then.

But he remains convinced there will be some sort of college football season.