Or as the next line goes in this classic by The Happenings, “See you, when the summer’s through,” but as Lee Corso likes to say, “Not so fast my friends!” We at collegefootballfan.com try to stay optimistic that there will be a college football season in 2020. However, every time we think there will be one, Covid-19 numbers raises its ugly numbers insinuating that there will be a limited season, at best. Will schools allow students back on campuses before the fall semester? Some are already backing down on this. Classes on-line only they say. Will players be allowed on campus if the rest of the student body is not? If some students attend to studies on campus, will athletes also be allowed?
September? How about October? November?
Beyond students and athletes returning to school, other limitations create obstacles. If Covid-19 affects some players, but not all, how long will those affected sit out? Do they risk getting it again? When can they return? Who makes the final, risky decision? What if there are not enough starters to fill a roster to safely qualify for a game? What happens if the opponent refuses to play a team with a significant outbreak? What if multiple coaches or game officials test positive? What if no substitutes are available to officiate?
In the stands
Go beyond the playing field. Of course, we anticipate masks will be required for all fans (shields inside of helmets for all players)? Social distances will be maintained. How many fans will be allowed to attend? Lower ticket sales and higher prices? Will walk up sales be allowed? If not, will there be higher fees added to online ticket prices? Will there be age restrictions that disallow older fans into venues – 60 and over, 65 and over? How will smaller divisions with lower attendance restrict fans? Families and students only? Limited walk up sales and socially distanced seating on grandstand seats? Will fans even be allowed? What, no cheerleaders!? Is this really college football?
Until a vaccine is developed that nobody can predict when, all precautions will be necessary. It’s understandable at his point, but the truth of the matter is this is all still under assessment. Is there a definitive answer that yet that all are safe from dying? Most often, we hear the final decisions have to be made in July to have the players ready in game condition, to develop some of the newest on the rosters to assimilate into the team, and to prepare game-untested members need to ready to step in as needed.
Getting priorities straight
We’re staying positive, but we won’t be shocked if our collegiate gridirons remain empty this year. A few lower division schools, D-2 Morehouse and D-3 TCNJ (The College of New Jersey) have already announced all fall athletics are cancelled in 2020. Even some winter programs, The bottom line has to be in regards to the health of their athletes. Larger schools are torn between physical health and the financial health of their programs that provide revenues to fund all other athletic programs on their campuses.
This summer: the waiting game
If smarter people than myself can get together to come up with a plan to keep athletes safe and healthy as well assure benefits under severe circumstances to save college sports for the long-term, we’re all for it. But if they can’t address the short-term health issues first, they can’t address the long term. We can only hope and pray for an effective vaccine to be developed to hopefully save us all so we can return to life as we knew it and to have college football and our other sports back on track in 2021.
With that said, I’m thinking positive that there will be some form of college football being played in 2020. From a personal perspective, I am working on an opportunity to move from my home state of New Jersey to the great state of Tennessee in the not to distant future. In addition, to reduce the budget in 2020 and stay flexible, I’m considering more emphasis on small school games. Already, the Naval Academy is returning a refund for my two tickets purchased for the Notre Dame game originally scheduled in Dublin, Ireland on August 29 and later moved to Annapolis on September 5. Paring down the seats from 35,000 originally sold to make social distancing possible and probably the addition of 4,000 midshipman, I fell in line far at the bottom behind all the admirals, captains, and Marine Corps generals, so I’m looking at other options.
Triple option: not Navy’s, ours
Always enjoying my off-seasons perusing various games to attend, I have put together a “New Jersey plan”, a “Tennessee plan”, and a “Division-3 plan”. In some cases they overlap. However, not knowing how this tenuous season will play out in the end, I’m leaving options open. To explore my possibilities, I have determined what my best options are. Even these are subject to change. Those of you who have followed collegefootballfan.com over the years understand I’m not one who enjoys sitting at home on a couch in front of a television during the fall. If there are games, I’ll be somewhere. I don’t want to disappoint my fans and I’m not ready to sit out a college football season at this point no matter what Saint Laurie says!
By now, I’m usually salivating about my upcoming schedule. With options still open, I’m not sure where I’ll be. I’m holding back on editing my 2020 slate until there is more clarification of who will be available to see play, when, where, and against who. Give it another two weeks at least. Who could have ever imagined that we would ever see a year like 2020? Let’s hope we can come out with a much better future for everything.
