Time is running out for the 2020 college football season to start on time, leading many to wonder whether the entire season will carry over to the spring of 2021 in a few months. The first indicator of that possibility is expected to arrive this year. Ivy League Wednesday after the conference declared that it plans to announce its final decision on fall sports and college football this week.
That decision could set a trend for the rest of the college football landscape, and it could be a big trend. Several coaches within the Ivy League have told Bruce Feldman and Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic that “they expect Wednesday’s announcement that the league will move all fall sports, including soccer, to spring 2021.” Forbes magazine previously reported that there is a 98% chance that Ivy League football will move to spring.
If the Ivy League continues this scenario, it would be notable for two reasons. It would be the first Division I conference to make such a radical change. There have been cancellations in the lower ranks of college football, including the Division II Morehouse College program and at least three Division III schools, but nothing like this.
Also, what happens with the Ivy League could set the tone for the rest of college football. After all, it was the Ivy League that initially canceled their basketball conference tournament on March 12. After the initial setback for allegedly exaggerating, other conferences quickly followed suit once the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak became apparent.
That line of thinking is reflected in The Athletic piece with a Power Five manager saying “My suspicion is that most FBS presidents are uncomfortable with the idea of playing soccer this fall, but for various reasons they don’t want the first to go out there and say that. So, more than anything, that decision provides the coverage they need. I hope it’s a great domino. “
On Monday, Harvard announced that it will only allow 40% of college students on campus in the fall and that the entire teaching package will be conducted remotely.
Spring football is nothing more than a stage where there are still many on the table. Ask 10 different sports directors, university presidents, or conference commissioners about the most likely possibility, and you will likely get a variety of answers. Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour called spring football a “last resort,” citing the proximity to the 2021 season. While this would be a legitimate problem, there are no easy answers.
The NCAA approved preseason schedule will begin in a matter of weeks and camp will begin again. However, several programs, including Houston, Kansas State, and Kansas, have already been forced to suspend voluntary training due to spikes in COVID-19 among athletes. Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said of the upcoming season: “Unless we see a change in the trajectory of the virus’s spread and its impact fairly quickly, I think the situation is much more dangerous than it was a few weeks ago. ”
The increase in COVID-19 cases since June has raised more doubts that the next season of college football will be played normally. The look of that season has yet to be determined, although we may have a much clearer idea in the coming weeks. Spring football seems to be very much at stake.
