‘Life is not risk-free.’ UK’s Barnhart explains rationale for moving ahead with football.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Southeastern Conference was committed to playing football and other fall sports beginning in September, despite the coronavirus pandemic.
While that could swiftly change — the Big Ten hyped the release of an entirely new football schedule last week and postponed its season on Tuesday — for now the league’s stance is to move forward in its preparations, citing clearance from its own medical advisory groups as grounds to do so.
University of Kentucky Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart shared some perspective from within the decision-making process during a Thursday morning address hosted by Lexington Forum, a Commerce Lexington group whose mission is “to help grow and inspire future leaders in our community.”
“(It’s) really hard to look at the front windshield and determine where we’re headed,” Barnhart said. “At the end of the day, life is not risk-free. You can’t live that way. You do the best you can with protocols you put in place. ... I think you’ve got to say, ‘OK, I’m willing to live a little bit. I’m not going to live this particular way my whole life.’”
Barnhart said he spent time with UK’s football team on Tuesday. A few players have been outspoken on social media about their desire to play. The NCAA previously has mandated that any players who choose to opt out of the fall sports season will continue to have their scholarships honored and remain in good standing with the team.
To date, no UK athlete has publicized an intention to opt out this fall.
“To a man, I think they want to play,” Barnhart said of the football players. The NCAA has not released official guidelines pertaining to eligibility of athletes who opt out or who might have their seasons shortened mid-stream due to the pandemic, but the Division I council has recommended, for adoption at an Aug. 21 meeting, that those athletes be granted an extra year of eligibility.
Barnhart in his Thursday address said that won’t be a concern at Kentucky.
“We will take care of that,” he said.
As of July 27 — the last time UK’s athletic department released an update on its “return to activity” procedures — there were three reported active cases of COVID-19, two among athletes and one staff member. The university has refused to disclose case results — positive or negative — of tests required of individuals beyond those identified during their initial screening procedure, nor has it disclosed the number of additional tests it has conducted beyond those administered during returning individuals’ initial screening procedure.
The SEC is one of six Football Bowl Subdivision leagues that is pressing forward with plans to play this fall. The other four — two smaller conferences, the Mid-American and Mountain West, and a fellow Power Five member, the Pac-12, have postponed their seasons in addition to the Big Ten — have expressed intentions to try to play in the spring.
Barnhart didn’t address the possibility of a spring football season directly but noted that the SEC’s plans could change from what its plans are now. Ultimately, UK’s voice in whatever final call is made will be university president Eli Capilouto, not Barnhart.
“We’re trying really hard to try to find a path forward,” Barnhart said. “ ... Will it look the same? I don’t think anything will look the same. So I don’t know what that means. Can I say in the next five days we’ll have a decision? The next 10 days? I don’t know that we can say that.”
The SEC is scheduled to kick off its football season on Sept. 26 and has postponed competition in all other fall sports through Aug. 31. Barnhart last month indicated that it’s unlikely that UK will host full football stadiums during 2020.
UK this week declined to comment on how it plans to handle potential refunds on season-ticket packages; even if games are played this season, those who’ve purchased season tickets paid for two home games that are no longer happening.
“We’ll have opportunities for everybody to figure out if we don’t play or we can’t get everybody in the stadium, how that plays out,” Barnhart said Thursday.
Regular football practices are permitted to begin Monday. Voluntary in-person workouts have been permitted since June.
Barnhart lauded the SEC’s patience through the pandemic on Thursday.
“We have been very thoughtful about the things that matter to student-athletes first, to our coaches and our staff second, and then to our community,” Barnhart said. “We haven’t rushed to judgment on things.”
This story was originally published August 13, 2020 at 4:18 PM.
