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Fall CFB season will not be played, according to two Power Five ADs
(8:49)
A cancellation of the 2020 college football season this fall is unavoidable after the MAC canceled its season earlier in the day, two leading Power Five athletic directors told CBS Sports on Saturday. Both responded that the MAC became the first FBS conference to cancel its fall season, while also referring to a lack of progress in fighting the coronavirus, according to its medical professionals.
“It’s not fair what we do with our coaches and student-athletes,” said one long-time Power Five AD. “The sooner we can finalize, the better.”
“I find it inexcusable [the season will not be played in the fall], “said another veteran Power Five AD.
Still AD wanted to be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation.
The MAC news early Saturday led to speculation that dominoes nationwide would start falling under the nine other FBS conferences. The FBS looks more and more like an outlier in forging forward to play. UConn, an independent, canceled its season on Wednesday. Several FCS conferences have done the same, to the point that its subdivision can no longer hold a national championship.
More than 30 Power Five players, including multiple potential picks for first-round pick, have opted to play in 2020, with indications for health care.
“I think it’s when, not when [the 2020 season is canceled], “said the first AD.”[The MAC announcement] adds more momentum to the finish. I think everyone’s medical group is telling them the same thing now. We all have the same conversations. “
Rumors continued to circulate Saturday that the Pac-12 and Big Ten would indeed be the next FBS conferences to cancel their respective 2020 seasons.
Big ten presidents were allowed on Saturday, though a league source told CBS Sports not to expect an immediate announcement to cancel their season – the feeling was that the league would not change its training schedule and announced a cancellation on the same day.
The Big Ten on Saturday announced that the “indefinite time” delayed a delay to Phase 3 of the exercise, which players could have used allowed pads. De Detroit Free Press told that Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren is believed to have preferred to try to play a season in the spring of 2021.
Pac-12 presidents will meet Monday in a regularly scheduled meeting. However, this timeline could change to “20 minutes” to organize a conference call as the situation went on, according to one league official.
“The Pac-12 will be next and then the Big Ten,” said the second AD. “The Big Ten just go without contact. What will that do for you? With California so prominent [with the coronavirus], I see the Pac-12 coming after that. “
The four Pac-12 schools were encouraged by state health guidelines that suggested they could begin fall practice on August 17 as planned.
“We did it all,” said the second AD. “We’ve all said,‘ Let’s keep pushing, pushing [to play]. ‘I thought it was the best strategy. It’s definitely not that playable. Well, it’s just water torture. “
There is already the beginning of a look ahead to spring football. The first AD claims to be eligible for players participating in the spring must be a front-burner item before the 2020 season is moved. He said the issue could begin to be addressed as soon as Wednesday when NCAA Division I Council meets next.
Several schools and conferences have said they would honor the scholarships of all players who chose them for the 2020 season; however, the question has not been answered as to whether those players would be eligible for an additional year. Athletic departments would be conceivably on the hook to pay for an extra year.
It is speculated – and should be expected – that several top-concept qualifying players have already played their last college snap when football is moved to the spring. If the spring season is not made attractive enough in terms of an extra year of eligibility, multiple may decide to sit out.
All sides must weigh the viability of playing two seasons in one calendar year.
“The eligibility piece is the most important thing to find out first and foremost,” the first AD said. “I don’t know what significant season we could have put in the spring that would make people willing to take a year off.”
Whether college football becomes this fall is increasingly becoming a case of risk tolerance. We know where UConn set their level. We know what the risk tolerance of the MAC is.
If only one of the nine remaining conferences gets the right health recommendations to continue, would it play out?
MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher would not speculate whether his decision of the conference would cause domino effect with other leagues.
“This decision is not a financial decision,” he said. “It’s a decision about health and well-being.”
Health and safety concerns are becoming more important.
A group of players in at least four major conferences raises a question about a safe return of football. Ohio State players released a statement Friday separating themselves from that Big Ten protest.
“We have all chosen to be here,” the statement said.
