Some members of college sports’ three “Power 5” conferences which persist with plans for a September start for their football seasons this fall — the ACC, Big 12 and SEC — have done their damnedest to protect their football programs from COVID: they’ve sent most of their students home.
The Commissioner of one of those conferences said his league has established thresholds for cancelling games. If a school cannot field a roster of at least 53 available players, with minimum numbers at specific positions, then that team isn’t required to play. Just 53 players. . .which means about half of a team’s typical roster would be out of action because of injury or illness.
Good grief! This league actually thinks that’s OK. . .50% attrition? They think this is responsible policy making. . .Really?
Is this merely stupidity, or is it greed. . .or is it fear that the monster of major college sports will fall into financial ruin if — regardless of risks — those universities don’t force football players onto the field for revenue-producing televised games this fall?
The National Collegiate Athletic Association has cancelled all the fall championships it controls: for all sports in Divisions 3 and 2, and all but football in Division 1. In 1984, as the the result of a lawsuit brought by what was then called the College Football Association, consisting of the major money-driven programs, the NCAA lost much of its authority — including television rights — to the universities and their leagues for Division 1 football programs, about half of which are moving ahead with games this month. . .motivated mostly by money. . .as they were during their litigation against the NCAA four decades ago.
Right now — since the virus has about completed its vanquishing of prisons, nursing homes and food processing plants — colleges are the COVID hotspots in the USA, with more than 100 college towns or campuses reporting recent spikes in COVID cases. Which means still-operating football programs persist in COVID petrie dishes where many restless students, who have been banished from on-campus classes and housing, are partying without face coverings in over-packed private student ghettos. My residence is within several blocks of such a neighborhood, through which I regularly walk — wearing a mask — when my heart rate rises less from exercise than from anger for the reckless behavior I observe.
JER
ALL OVER THE MAP 
Jack, I am right there with you! But let’s drop back down the the high school level. While some school are open some are online because of safety we are having football and all other fall sports. We lost a spring season because of the spread. If I were to place a bet I would think we will not have HS or college spring sports at the rate we are going!
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