As Pandemic Lingers, College Football Seeing Cancellations
As the college football world works to prepare for a season in 2020, the COVID-19 coronavirus continues to show it's not done with us just yet as new cases are being confirmed daily.
Last week some 30 players at LSU tested positive for the virus along with 28 Clemson players and a host of others from schools across the country. Some schools have taken the precaution of stopping their voluntary workout programs as cautionary measures to prevent the possibility of further contamination.
Also, two games on the early portion of the college football calendar have fallen victim to cancellation because of the virus.
The Southern Heritage Classic game played between Jackson State and Tennessee State, scheduled for Sept. 12 in Memphis, and a matchup between Southern and Florida A&M in Baton Rouge that same day were canceled for cautionary purposes.
While no other games have fallen victim to the pandemic at this time, there will likely be more before it is done. Questions remain as decisions are left to be made concerning player safety, fans in the stands, and more that could also profoundly impact the season.
Experts contend that the recent increase in cases we are seeing is the beginning of a second wave. However, opinions vary as to the severity with some experts suggesting that a season can occur while others indicate for it to be successful, it would have to happen in a bubble.
Through all of the remaining uncertainty, one thing we know is that schools and teams are doing their best to control what they can and to move forward with a season. It's an effort that's outcome remains in doubt. Still, with the financial impact on the bottom lines of athletic departments around the nation riding on this season, it leaves administrators with few options other than to attempt to play.
We're still a few weeks away from what is scheduled to be the beginning of team OTA style workouts, and lots can and possibly will happen before then, so we as a collective will continue to wait and see how this will play out.
