A fall without football? We must consider the possibility.
Talk about a hot take, ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit lit a match Friday during a segment on the World Wide Leader.
“I’ll be shocked if we have NFL football this fall, if we have college football,” Herbstreit said. “I’ll be so surprised if that happens.”
No football?
NO FOOTBALL!
Actually, all Herbstreit did was say the quiet part out loud. Athletics officials, especially college athletics officials, have let their minds wander to the possibility that we will not have the current coronavirus pandemic under control in time to start the football season, or even to play a season.
“I am,” UK head coach Mark Stoops said when he was asked Friday if he was concerned about the prospect of not playing football at all in 2020. “But as you know, I also try to stay in my lane as best as possible. We are going to continue to work and prepare to play that opening game. That is where my mindset is. To say that it hasn’t crossed my mind, or I don’t think about it, that’s a lie.”
First things first, the fight against COVID-19 is far, far more important than whether we can tee up the football in 2020. As we’ve said in this space before, the health and safety of the nation is far more important than a game, even football, even SEC football. And, as Herbstreit pointed out, the thought of jamming 100,000 people into a football stadium this fall, in the midst of a public health crisis, is pure folly. It can’t happen.
On the flip side, as our old friend and Florida athletics director Scott Stricklin told Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel, “From a financial standpoint, if we’re not playing football games in the fall, it will shake the foundation of college athletics. As everyone knows, football pays for the enterprise moving forward.”
Through television broadcast rights and ticket sales, football helps pay for most all the other sports in a college athletics program. And with the cancellation of the men’s basketball tournament reducing the NCAA’s expected combined $600 million payout to Division I schools down to $225 million, a fall without football could be a crippling blow.
Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby told the media last week he is preparing for a football season, but not counting on it. He said he hadn’t ruled out the possibility that games could be played without fans in the stands, as horse racing has tried with limited success. He also said that the decision to play or not to play had to be made in conjunction with other conferences.
Earlier this month, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said it was too early to speculate on the viability of a 2020 football season. He said he was optimistic. And New Mississippi State coach Mike Leach told CBS’ Dennis Dodd, “I think we’ll play.”
Others are not so sure. Warren K. Zola, a prominent sports law professor at Boston College ,told Dodd, “I am not trying to be overly pessimistic, but I’m doubtful we’re going to have a 2020 football season, NFL or college.”
Said Herbstreit, “You’re 12 to 18 months away from a vaccine. Until you have a vaccine, I don’t know how you can play ball.”
That wasn’t what social media wanted to hear. The former Ohio State quarterback was blasted on Twitter, accused of exaggerating the threat. Those apparently (a) aren’t listening to the experts or (b) can’t read a chart.
Many accused Herbstreit of stealing hope. That’s understandable. During these trying times, we all want something to hold on to, that at some point the NBA will finish its season, Major League Baseball will make a delayed start, that the Kentucky Derby will really be run on Sept. 5 and that we can all join together again and watch some football.
“This is much bigger than the University of Kentucky,” Stoops said on Friday. “We will do the things necessary and do what we are told, but as for right now we are preparing to play.”
When that happens, no one knows.
