NFL Wants To Keep Start Linked To College Season
The NFL and college football are connected in more ways than one. Not only because of college football grooming talent but through the calendar, which now has the NFL looking into how to keep their season on track and in time with the college season.
No, it's not because the NFL just wants to have college football by its side, they need to have colleges along with them because of the calendar and the schedule of events like the Senior Bowl, NFL Scouting Combine and NFL Draft that will all move forward next season.
College football's season would need to be concluded in time for the NFL to hold those events on time. The NFL can not put players who might consider leaving school early in a position to decide between finishing their college careers or leaving early to participate in these events should the college season still be in progress because of a delayed start.
In short, the NFL has no intention of putting their relationships with college coaches and institutions at risk.
It's a tricky situation for sure, and the NFL, which is one of the most powerful entities in the country, will forge forward no matter what because of the amount of money on the line for the league, it's teams and their players.
Of course, league teams are under the direction of their state governments. Still, many teams are already working on contingencies to move their training camos temporarily to states who have begun loosening restrictions. That's a move the NFL can make, but one the colleges will not be able to make with them.
Federal government officials such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, who leads the Coronavirus pandemic team in Washington D.C., has recently made public statements about football and the potential to spread the virus amongst players and their families. Those comments seem to indicate he might attempt to block either the NFL or college starting a season should he and his team feel the situation could present a public health emergency.
There's a lot at stake, and multiple moving parts left to fall into place before any official decisions can be made, and there could be some fights between states, the NFL, and the federal government before we see any games in 2020. Who knows what might happen in that event.
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