Two Power 5 Athletic Directors Believe College Football Will Be Canceled This Season

Fears over the coronavirus and liability put the college football season in doubt

College football coronavirus
Grant Delpit of the LSU Tigers holds up the trophy after defeating the Clemson Tigers during the College Football Playoff National Championship held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 13, 2020.
Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images

After the Mid-American Conference canceled its football season on Saturday, it looks more and more likely that there won’t be any college football this fall. Two Power 5 conference athletic directors spoke to CBS Sports, saying that they believe it is “inevitable” that the upcoming season will be canceled over fears of the coronavirus pandemic.

Both AD’s spoke to CBS Sports anonymously, due to the “sensitivity” of the situation, but both believe that this is the next logical step for college football. One of the athletic directors said that it’s not fair to the players and coaches to act like the season will happen:

It’s not fair what we’re doing to our coaches and student-athletes. The sooner we can come to a finality, the better.

Furthermore, the MAC’s decision will only accelerate the process of canceling the season, as it appeared that no conference wanted to be the first to make the call.

I’m of the opinion it’s when, not if [the 2020 season is canceled]. [The MAC announcement] adds more momentum to the finish line. I think everyone’s medical group is now all telling them the same thing. We all keep having the same conversations.

The Big Ten already delayed its practices with pads this weekend, and according to the CBS Sports report, that conference and the Pac-12 appear to be the next in line to cancel the college football season. The Pac-12 had a group of players threaten to opt out of the season if their demands for player health and safety were not met, furthering the pressure to cancel the season.

If the ADs are to be believed, the next step will be setting up a spring season instead, with the hope that the pandemic will be slowing down by then, allowing a return to college football a few months after its original schedule.

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Read the full story at CBS Sports

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