The deconstruction of the 2020 college football season accelerated Thursday. Where it ends, we still don’t know. Perhaps in spring 2021. Perhaps there is no ending, because there is no beginning.
The options are simultaneously dwindling and reducing in quality.
The Big Ten pushed us closer to business as unusual with a somewhat jarring announcement that it will play a conference-only schedule. It’s a logical move, but an early one—as one athletic director said, “Why do that on July 9? Why not Aug. 9? It’s also a depressing move—among the games that will not be played are Wisconsin-Notre Dame, Ohio State-Oregon, Michigan-Washington, Penn State-Virginia Tech and Miami-Michigan State. Some great matchups have been wiped off the books.
Sources told Sports Illustrated that one Big Ten option under consideration is a ten-game slate, one more than they schedule annually, with division games potentially moved to the front of the schedule. Perhaps one opponent would be added to existing schedules, or perhaps multiple matchups would be recast based on geography.
Commissioner Kevin Warren told SI that his office will dig into scheduling over the course of the next week, in consultation with schools and television partners. “We’re trying to figure out a way to play a season safely and responsibly, he said. “But we’re also prepared not to play.
That’s the doomsday prep that everyone is at least considering at this point. The economic fallout would be ruinous, but health considerations may well veto all other plans. No sport faces more health-and-safety issues than one with 100 athletes per team who compete in a physically confrontational sport that is played on campuses populated with thousands of students.
Several industry sources have targeted Aug. 1 as a cutoff date for playing in the fall. But other actions clearly are being taken between now and then in hopes that some sort of fall season is possible.
NCAA College Football 2020 Live Stream. It’s likely that the Big Ten will have conference-only scheduling company from other Power-5 leagues later this month or in early August. There has been industry speculation for several days that the Pac-12 is working on the same plan, and Brett McMurphy of Stadium reported Thursday that the Atlantic Coast Conference is likely moving in the same direction.
The Big 12 and Southeastern Conference don’t appear to be there yet. They may be willing to wait longest before changing plans—but also may be most willing and able to jump ahead to spring.
With most of their league members in warm-weather locales, they would have fewer league-wide problems with a spring season that likely would commence in late winter. Sources told SI Thursday that some athletic directors in both those leagues are in favor of the idea and willing to champion the cause with conference leadership.
“I think spring is more viable than fall, said a SEC AD. “What we have currently scheduled is not realistic. If somebody told me we could play conference-only in the fall, that would be great. But I’m not sure we can play one game, let alone a full conference schedule.