College Football is on life support
It’s a dark day for college football fans. Rumors are swirling that the Big 10 is planning on following the course the MAC has already taken. Cancelling all fall sports.
According to Dan's source, 12 of the 14 Presidents from the Big 10 have voted against having a Fall College Football season. Iowa and Nebraska were the two that have been pushing to play. — Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) August 10, 2020
Makes perfect sense that Iowa and Nebraska would still be in favor of a college football season. I’m pretty sure a quarter of Nebraska’s revenue comes from Cornhusker Football. Hell when the team was winning championships in the 90’s I bet it was closer to 50% of the states revenue. Without college football Iowa and Nebraska don’t have an identity as a state besides their mutual love of corn and hate for each others college football team. University of Nebraska and Iowa University need college football because without it they have nothing.
The cancelation of the Big10 season is a rumor as of now. Even the vote to cancel the season is a rumor.
Just got a text from a Big Ten spokesman. "No vote has been held by our presidents and chancellors." Hence, the Big Ten watch continues. — Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 10, 2020
So it just comes down to which rumor you believe more. One of these reports is right. Only time will tell which one though.
The idea of cancelling fall sports has gained a lot of steam recently. Hence all the rumors of the season already being cancelled. The schools and conferences don’t want to be liable if the players do get sick and in turn get families sick. While the schools and conferences debate about whether or not to play football a movement from the players and coaches has gained just as much traction as cancelling college football has.
#WeWantToPlay pic.twitter.com/jvQhE7noGB — Trevor Lawrence (@Trevorlawrencee) August 10, 2020
The only man that doesn’t have to worry about playing college football next season is advocating for a season. Trevor Lawrence already has his money bag from the NFL secured. If no season is played he gets taken first overall. If a season is played it’s likely he balls out for Clemson and still goes first overall. The guy just wants to play football. Doesn’t matter that he’s already the most coveted player in the draft. In my mind his endorsement of playing college football cements him as number one overall pick. He’s clearly a leader both on and off the field. Lawrence even laid out a pretty convincing argument about why it’s actually better to play college football than to not.
People are at just as much, if not more risk, if we don’t play. Players will all be sent home to their own communities where social distancing is highly unlikely and medical care and expenses will be placed on the families if they were to contract covid19 (1) — Trevor Lawrence (@Trevorlawrencee) August 9, 2020
Not to mention the players coming from situations that are not good for them/ their future and having to go back to that. Football is a safe haven for so many people. We are more likely to get the virus in everyday life than playing football. Having a season also incentivizes – — Trevor Lawrence (@Trevorlawrencee) August 9, 2020
A very solid argument for why football should be played. The #WeWantToPlay movement has gained traction all over Twitter. Tons of college football players have joined Lawrence in advocating for a college football season. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has also been vocal in his desire for a college football season.
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh released a statement on why he’s advocating they play football this season citing recent numbers and protocols followed pic.twitter.com/8SBHPlSlQv — Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) August 10, 2020
Michigan has had 11 positive tests out of 893 administered. Three of those were upon initial return to campus. Those are promising numbers. Numbers that make you think a season is possible. The players at Michigan are taking this seriously and it’s shown. The only issue I have with those numbers is that this has all happened while little to no students are on the Michigan campus. The athletes and coaches are being responsible, which is great, but they can’t control the general student population. I’m not worried athletes are going to contract COVID from playing games against other teams that are also testing negative. I’m worried athletes will catch the virus from interacting with their fellow students on campus.
I don’t know what’s going to happen with college football. I don’t think any one really does. The only people that have any idea on what will happen are the executives voting on whether or not to cancel fall sports. Everyone else is just left in the dark miserably waiting for more news.
Honestly I think most conferences cancel the season. The SEC says “fuck that” and continues on. Schools like Nebraska and Iowa that want to play still will be invited into the SEC for a year so that they can get the piss beat out of them by Alabama and Georgia. That or every conference cancels fall sports and just finds a way to play in the spring. Anything is a possibility at this point.