Time To Shutdown College Football This Fall

By Jordan Long

The COVID 19 Pandemic has wrecked the college football season for the fall.  Division 2 and 3 decided to cancel fall sports.  Football for the RMAC (Rocky Mountain Athletic Football Conference) might be played in the spring.  The Big Sky Conference, which includes the University of Northern Colorado, is doing the same thing.  The University of Connecticut and UMass also canceled football for now. The only Division 1 conference who has said they are not playing football is the Mountain West Conference. The Pac-12 and Big 10 are expected to vote today on if football should be played.  There are rumors they will also opt-out of the fall football season.  The SEC is one of the conferences that has decided to play football for now.  That could change depending on what the other conferences want to do.

                Football is a dangerous sport in general.  These young men take chances out on the football field.  They could end up with an injury or a concussion which could end their football season and career.  

                The virus is scarier.  The scientists who study it know very little of what it can do long term.  They are learning more each day.  Who knows what will happen if say an athlete on the offensive or defensive line contracts it?  There is evidence that supports they could survive, but they may not.  It is not a risk these athletes should take especially since there is no way to social distance on a football field.  What will happen if a star athlete or a group of players contracts it?  It could end up postponing games.  It would be very difficult to make these games up.

Money is a big issue because of the TV contracts and ticket sales which help the university athletics.  The NCAA needs to step in and just make a decision.  The conferences alone shouldn’t be the only ones making the choice to play in the fall.  The springtime may be safer.     It would be very foolish to play football on Saturdays this fall.  It wouldn’t make a lot of sense to start the season with the knowledge we have about COVID19 and then shut it down.   Hopefully, they make the right choice for the health and safety of the players, coaches, and the universities.