With several conferences – including the Big Ten and Pac-12 – canceling or postponing fall football, attention has shifted to the prospect of a spring season. Some say a spring season isn’t doable; some say it absolutely is.
Nevada coach Jay Norvell thinks a spring season is feasible, but he’s also not sure if it’s a good idea.
“I would say this about spring football: I would not want to interrupt or change our fall schedule next fall,” Norvell said on The Zach Gelb Show. “If we could play some games in the spring and give our guys an opportunity to compete and still keep our fall schedule intact, I would be for that. If there’s a feeling we would have to interrupt the fall or back up the fall because of a spring schedule, I would not be for that."
Even if a spring season started in January, it would be difficult for players to play two seasons in one year.
“It’s just unfortunate,” Norvell said. “It’s an unfortunate thing, but I would really like to see us get back on track a year from now in the fall with a full schedule like we’re normally used to. I’ve heard some of the different proposals about playing a spring schedule and backing up a fall schedule, and I would hate to see us interrupt two full seasons of football.”
The Mountain West canceled the fall season Monday. It was not a good day for the 57-year-old Norvell, who was entering his fourth season at Nevada.
“We knew that this was a possibility,” he said. “To finally hear the news, it’s really unprecedented. I’ve spent my whole life coaching and playing football in the fall, and it’s been hard to adjust to looking at not having that – and [it’s] just very difficult for the kids. They play football. That’s what they do. So we’re trying to step back and adjust.”
Norvell said that his team was following COVID-19 protocols and that they practiced for several weeks and didn’t have a single positive test.
“If the people that you put on a practice field are doing the right protocols, they are being tested and they don’t have the virus, you could play football,” he said. “We were really functioning and doing very well. I do believe you could play the sport of football as long as the people you put out there are tested and they’re safe. We’ll see if these other conferences can go through with this.”