As the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt lives around the world, many American sports fans are wondering – and have wondered – if college football will still happen this fall.
Texas head coach Tom Herman says yes.
“I expect a season, yes,” Herman told Tiki & Tierney. “What that season looks like when it starts, I don’t know. I think we’ll know more. The Power Five conferences and commissioners, we all agreed on certain stipulations on March 29, and those expire here May 31. So we’ve got to figure out what we’re going to permit on June 1.”
Coming to a consensus, however, might be difficult, as some states – and regions – have reacted to the pandemic in completely different ways.
“There’s still a lot to be figured out these next couple weeks in terms of what the offseason looks like, what June and July looks like,” Herman said. “In terms of having a season, I really do [think it will happen]. I believe that our fans need it, our department needs it, our players need it. Will it start on time? I sure hope so. I think we’re all working under a model of whenever it is safe to start, we would need about six weeks: a two-week assessment and reconditioning of our guys, and then a four-week training camp as usual.”
It’s possible that the season could start later – or be shortened – due to the virus.
“If it has to start later, there’s a couple different options,” Herman said. “One is still play 12 games and end obviously a lot later, and now you’re talking about bowl games and playoffs pushing into NFL conference championships and the Super Bowl, which I don’t think anybody wants to do. So I think if it starts later, we may just see a nine-game conference schedule, which would be great. It would force the couple conferences that only play eight games to play nine games. So there’s a lot to be figured out between now and then, but I do truly believe that we’re going to have some type of season this fall.”
Still, Herman does not know what will happen when or if a player tests positive for COVID-19.
"We're going to have to find a way to sequester our team and support personnel, our coaches and all of that, so that we limit our interaction with the outside world," Herman said. "But at the same time, I don't know that we've necessarily talked about if a player does test positive, the ramifications on the entire team and organization . . . I do envision some sort of quarantine or sequestering of our team, and really entire organization, to mitigate the risk and their exposure to anybody else that might test positive."