Numerous positive COVID-19 tests among college football players have created doubt about the viability of the 2020 college football season. Several schools shut down football workouts. The Division I-FBS slate beginning on time is very much in doubt.
This uncertainty has caused some in the college football power structure to discuss a key matter with the NFL. Certain college football officials approached the NFL about the feasibility of moving the 2021 draft back, in the event the college football season must be delayed until spring, Dan Wolken of USA Today tweets. The NFL’s early-July stance on this matter, per Wolken: “No thanks.”
Coronavirus cases are rising in most states, with college football hotbeds like Florida and Texas being hit particularly hard in recent weeks. College football powers Clemson and LSU saw dozens of positive tests when players returned for non-mandatory workouts. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said he would not allow college and high school football to take place in the state if case numbers continue to climb.
Power 5 conferences have yet to place a deadline on making changes to the 2020 season, but the commissioners of these leagues hope to have a universal plan — rather than individual conferences making decisions. The Pac-12 has discussed moving the season to the spring, commissioner Larry Scott said (via Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News).
“I still want to be cautiously optimistic,” Scott said, “but if there’s no change in society’s response and behavior, which results in a quick flattening of the curve and a decrease in the spread of the virus, that would lead to a much more pessimistic view about our campuses being able to open and our ability to play college sports.”
Next year’s draft is scheduled to begin April 29 in Cleveland. Major college football taking place in the spring would throw the evaluation process off axis, and it would seem likely the NFL would consider changing its draft date if the college game postponed its schedule several months. The NFL used to hold its draft before the college season ended, but that practice stopped in the 1960s. The draft process has obviously transformed since, making the scenario of a draft occurring before college players’ seasons conclude less realistic.
What would delaying the college football season until the spring do? Do they expect the virus to have weakened or disappeared by then? Or do they think we will have enough herd immunity by then?
According to our know it all president it was supposed to disappear like a miracle in April…
April 2030
The concern is you will have the students returning in the fall and trying to control that and the teams is almost impossible.
Won’t let me comment on the article about the Redskins changing their name… So I’ll post my comment here.
Ridiculous!
Its stupid. Redskin isnt racist unless your a pansy
Tired of Trade Rumors turning off comments to certain posts. You’ve lost a patron. Rather than dealing with comments that are improper or out of bounds in a case by case basis by banning the author, etc., they instead choose to censor everyone and avoid all discourse.
The banning approach never works because it is quite easy to create a new account and re-appear under a different username. We need to stop engaging in childish personal attacks or else the entire comment section will disappear. That’s the message the staff are sending by this action.
If theirs no season then what?
If CFB doesn’t go, It’s very likely NFL doesn’t go either. It may not be up to the league either. What if a handful of states say they can’t play there period? It makes a challenge for training, practicing and scheduling at which point the NFL would also pull the plug.
The draft is a crap shoot (especially after the first two rounds) so there really isn’t anything gained by delaying it.
What if someone gets hurt during the collegiate season? That would sure suck…
Tua was injured yet the Dolphins still thought he was worth the risk. Sometimes these gambles pay off and sometimes they don’t but you might as well avoid the draft completely if your looking for guarantees.