Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour said a spring college football season “would be a last option” to securely squeeze in the sport during the coronavirus pandemic, citing the impact it would have on the 2021 fall season as a significant difficulty.
Barbour stated discussions about potentially playing college football in the spring began as quickly as college athletics concerned a shrieking halt this previous March due to the fact that of the pandemic, which continues to cast an abundance of uncertainty over the fast-approaching 2020 fall season.
— and its probably the most significant one in my mind– is the distance to next season, and honestly a 2nd lost spring ball,” Barbour informed press reporters on a Zoom teleconference Wednesday. “Overcomeable, if possibly were ready to have actually a reduced season– once again in the classification of something is better than nothing, that might not be a problem at all.”
1 RelatedConferences at every level have been dealing with different designs in case the fall is disrupted by the pandemic, but the spring contingency strategy amassed more attention today after TMG Sports reported the Ivy League is thinking about forgoing the whole fall in favor of a seven-game, conference-only spring season that would begin in April and conclude in mid-May.
The Ivy League will announce a last choice on fall sports July 8, however FBS decision-makers continue to move forward, albeit cautiously.
” The impacts of the decisions made in July are going to resound for a while,” MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said.
As coronavirus cases continue to rise throughout the country, Barbour yielded that pessimism among the sports decision-makers also does.
— and its probably the biggest one in my mind– is the proximity to next season, and frankly a 2nd lost spring ball,” Barbour told press reporters on a Zoom teleconference Wednesday. “Overcomeable, if maybe were prepared to have actually a shortened season– once again in the classification of something is better than absolutely nothing, that might not be an issue at all.”
Certainly, provided the unpredictability, were having to work on a lot of various plans, a lot of various circumstances.” This is all about their health and safety, and an element of their health and security is their comfort,” Barbour said.
” Theres no doubt theres been a little bit of pessimism here in the last number of weeks that we really had not had for probably about four to six weeks,” Barbour stated. “… I think thats part of the ups and downs of the virus here. Certainly my hope is that, maybe, as people start taking a look at the masking and social distancing once again and all of the preventative measures and recommitting to the seriousness of this, well see it flatten out.
Certainly, given the uncertainty, were having to work on a lot of different strategies, a lot of different situations. And when the time comes, if its safe and healthy to do it, well obviously do it.
Barbour, echoing the majority of her peers, said no student-athletes would lose their scholarships if they werent comfortable returning to their groups during the pandemic– no matter whether its throughout voluntary workouts, when mandatory training for football begins July 13 or the start of preseason camp.
” This is all about their health and wellness, and an aspect of their health and wellness is their convenience,” Barbour stated. “We have at every turn suggested that it is their choice when the time for each of our teams to be welcomed back shown up. The choice is totally theirs, and their scholarship is not in jeopardy at all.”.
