LSU Football Coach Ed Orgeron Has Been Told 2020 Season Will Be Played "In All Likelihood"
While the college football world remains in a state of flummox in regards to the 2020 season starting on time, LSU coach Ed Orgeron is focusing on the only thing he can control, having his team ready and in shape for football.
Orgeron made an appearance on WWL radio show "SportsTalk" on Wednesday afternoon where he said the program has been told the 2020 season will be played "in all likelihood."
"We're planning to play, the other stuff is out of our control," Orgeron said. "We have the full staff in here. We're planning football school. We've made our practice schedule for August. We're putting in all of our scripts. We're doing all of our cards. We're going on as usual, we're playing. Whatever happens, we've been told that in all likelihood we're playing. If that changes, that's out of our control."
The latest comments from the Tigers head coach come on the heels of multiple reports that college leaders are starting to have doubts that a college football season will start on time. On Wednesday, the Ivy League became the first conference to shut down fall sports until January.
On Thursday, Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger and Pat Forde reported that there are three contingency plans being discussed among college decision makers if the season can't start on time. The options are delaying the season further into the fall, playing a conference only schedule or delaying the season to the spring.
These are decisions that must be made not later than the first week of preseason camp, or Aug. 7. It's why coaches all over the country, including Orgeron, are taking that business as usual approach until something changes because they know they aren't the ones making the decisions.
Right now the Tigers are still set to begin their non-conference schedule against UTSA, which is now less than two months away. If the season is delayed, or pushed back to the spring, they are options Orgeron and the LSU staff will be prepared for.
"We have a mantra here that we don't blink," Orgeron said. "So whatever they give us, we're going to be prepared for it. You just tell us where to play, whether it's in a cow pasture, at midnight or 3 a.m. we're going to go play."
The Big Ten announced its plan to move forward with a all-conference schedule, sparking shock among the other conference leaders. Various reports also hint that the Pac-12 and ACC could soon follow suit.
A planned meeting between the SEC and it’s 14 athletic directors is set for Monday, with the main topic of conversation expected to revolve around what to do about the 2020 football season. While no decisions are expected to be made, the meeting could be the starting point of a shift in what LSU’s schedule could look like this season.
The Tigers have non-conference games against UTSA, Texas, Rice and Nicholls State scheduled for the upcoming season.
Orgeron was also asked how the program has responded in recent weeks to positive coronavirus tests within the program since voluntary workouts started on June 8. Sports Illustrated reported that 30 players were being quarantined because they had either tested positive or been around someone who had tested positive.
A source told the Advocate that the actual amount of positive tests among players centered around "five or six players." Orgeron refuted the number 30 during his interview with Bobby Hebert and Kristian Garic.
"The number 30 was not correct," Orgeron said. "That was inaccurate. I don't know who said that. It wasn't that high. But we did have a little spike. Now it's going down. I think it's under control. I think it's a fairly low number right now that we're very pleased with. It looks like everything's going smooth for us."
