Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
 | This section may use tenses incorrectly .(August 2023) |
Season preparations
Multiple universities and conferences had already canceled their spring football games as part of the wider, nationwide suspension of organized sports and athletics due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. On March 13, the NCAA announced a suspension of all Division I on-campus and off-campus recruiting until April 15. [8] In regards to its impact on the regular season, NCAA president Mark Emmert stated on May 8 that individual decisions on fall semester sports would likely begin to appear as early as June or around July 4. He suggested that the operation of athletics programs would depend on students being present on-campus to a degree (but not necessarily "up and running in the full normal model"), explaining that "you have to treat the health and well-being of the athletes at least as much as the regular students", but that "this is going to be a very unusual school year, and we just have to make the best of it". [9]
The NCAA Division I Council prohibited on-campus activities through May 31; on May 20, the Council voted to end the moratorium and allow voluntary on-campus activity in football and basketball to begin June 1, subject to new safety protocols. [10] On June 17, the Division I Council approved a timetable for a season assumed to begin September 5, including beginning non-voluntary training activities on July 13. [11]
On June 24, USA Today reported that at least 37 FBS schools had reported positive cases of COVID-19 among student-athletes or staff since practices resumed. Amidst a spike in cases in the Southern U.S. since late June, several state governors, including Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, Georgia's Brian Kemp, and South Carolina's Henry McMaster, have warned that football season could be threatened if cases do not subside in time. [12] [13]
On July 13, it was announced that the Patriot League would not be participating in a football season this year, however, the United States Military Academy as well as the Naval Academy were not included in the settlement as their school superintendent was in charge of making decisions regarding whether their athletic programs would have their seasons. [14]
On July 16, the NCAA released a series of recommendations regarding protocols for fall sports, including that all participants in "high contact risk sports" be tested with results within 72 hours of play. President Emmert noted, however, that the guidelines presumed that the infection rate would be "manageable", and that "If there is to be college sports in the fall, we need to get a much better handle on the pandemic." [15] The American Athletic Conference announced the same day that it will adhere to this protocol; commissioner Mike Aresco stated that "with the proper quarantine and the proper canvassing of close contacts, we think at this point it would be safe to play games." [16] On July 18, the SEC announced that it would still honor scholarships for players who opt out of the fall season due to safety concerns. [17]
On July 28, by request of the Football Oversight Committee, the NCAA announced that it had issued a blanket waiver to allow any team to play in "Week 0", in order to allow for greater scheduling flexibility amid changing conditions. [18]
On August 12, members of the NCAA Division I council met and discussed eligibility for student-athletes. They recommended to the Division I board that athletes should be granted an extension on their 5-year eligibility due to the pandemic. [14]
In the event that conditions would not improve by the traditional timeframe of football season, the possibility of delaying the football season entirely to spring 2021 was suggested by several coaches. However, it was largely considered by them to be a last resort. Aresco commented that such a delay would likely require practices to be held over the winter indoors—environments that have been shown to exacerbate the spread of COVID-19. [19]
Conference responses
All of the Power Five conferences initially announced that they would go on with their season as scheduled, but with cuts to non-conference games in order to overcome logistical concerns and reduce interstate travel. The Big Ten, Pac-12, and SEC were all limiting play to in-conference opponents only. [19] [20] [21] The ACC and Big 12 would allow one non-conference game each, with the ACC restricting them to in-state opponents. [22] The ACC also suspended the use of divisions, with the top two teams in conference play by winning percentage advancing to the ACC Championship Game. [2]
The restrictions complicated matters for FBS independents; the first four games of the BYU Cougars were all against Big Ten and Pac-12 teams, [19] while Notre Dame lost three of its marquee games of the season—including one against Wisconsin that was to be played at Lambeau Field, and traditional rivalry games against Stanford (not held for the first time since 1996) and USC (postponed for the first time since 1945 due to World War II). [19] Notre Dame and Navy had also canceled a planned international game in Dublin, Ireland, and tentatively rescheduled it for Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. [23] Some FCS conferences (such as the Patriot League) [24] canceled or postponed the football season outright, affecting games against FBS opponents. [19]
On July 29, it was announced that Notre Dame had agreed to play an ACC conference schedule for the 2020 season; the Fighting Irish are a member of the ACC in all other sports besides football and men's ice hockey, the latter a sport not sponsored by the ACC). The team was incorporated into its scheduling model, playing 10 games against ACC opponents (expanding from six already scheduled as part of existing agreements with the conference) and being eligible to compete for the conference championship. Notre Dame pooled its media rights revenue from NBC with that of the ACC's other media rights and was eligible to receive a share of the total revenue. [2]
Among the Group of Five conferences, Conference USA announced on August 7 that it had approved an eight-game schedule with up to four non-conference games. [25] [26] The next day, however, the Mid-American Conference (MAC) announced the postponement of all fall sports for the 2020 season, including football. The conference stated that it would pursue attempts to play in spring 2021. With this decision, the MAC became the first FBS conference to cancel or postpone the football season. Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher stated that "there are simply too many unknowns to put our student-athletes into situations that are not clearly understood." The cancellation of non-conference games by the Power Five conferences—especially the Big Ten—was also expected to have a financial impact on its schools, with the Big Ten games alone expected to bring $11 million. [27] [28]
In the wake of the decision, ESPN reported on August 9 that the commissioners of the Power Five conferences had held an emergency meeting to discuss possible options for fall sports, amid the worsening state of the pandemic in the United States. [29] On August 10, the Mountain West Conference (MWC) followed the MAC as the second Group of Five conference to postpone fall sports indefinitely. [30] Despite the postponement, Air Force will still contest the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy games against Navy and Army. [31]
On August 11, the Big Ten became the first Power Five conference to postpone fall sports, followed shortly thereafter by the Pac-12. The Nebraska Cornhuskers of the Big Ten disclosed an intent to attempt non-conference play in the fall, although the logistical aspects of such a move (including scheduling) and possible repercussions within the conference were unknown. [32] [33] Commissioner Kevin Warren confirmed that Nebraska could not do so as a member of the Big Ten. [34] A major factor in the Big Ten's decision was cardiovascular complications from the virus, [35] while the Pac-12 cited that rapid testing capabilities would be needed to resume play. [36]
Following the decisions, the ACC, Big 12, and SEC all issued statements affirming their intent to play as scheduled in the fall. [37] [38] The Big Ten's decision became politicized, with President Donald Trump having criticized closures of university campuses, and having pushed in particular for the Big Ten to play in the fall. [39] [40] After the decision to postpone the season, the Big Ten formed a taskforce to investigate options for a return to play. [35]
On September 16, the Big Ten approved an eight-game conference season that would begin October 24, and conclude on December 19 with cross-division matchups between each seed (with the game between the top seeds played as the Big Ten Championship Game). The conference instituted a daily antigen testing protocol beginning September 30; PCR tests were used to confirm positives found via antigen testing. Players who tested positive on both tests were removed from play for at least 21 days and underwent cardiac tests during this period, and were required to be cleared by a cardiologist before they could return to play. Teams with a positivity rate above 5%, or whose population has a positivity rate above 7%, were required to halt all activity for seven days. [35]
In response to the Big Ten's reversal, Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott stated that the conference was awaiting authorization by health officials in California and Oregon to resume full-contact practices, and that it was also monitoring the air quality impact of ongoing wildfires in the western United States. The conference secured a provider for rapid testing earlier in the month. [36] On September 24, the Pac-12 officially announced that it would allow football, basketball, and winter sports seasons to resume, with plans to play a seven-game conference season beginning on November 6, and concluding with the Pac-12 Championship Game on December 18. [41]
The same day, the Mountain West announced that it too had approved an eight-game conference season beginning October 24. [42] The next day, the MAC unanimously approved a six-game season beginning in November. [43]
On November 19, the Pac-12 lifted a restriction on non-conference home games. [44]
Impact on the postseason
On July 15, the Rose Parade was canceled due to the pandemic. [45] The same day, the NCAA announced that FBS teams would be permitted to count two wins against FCS teams, instead of the usual one, towards bowl eligibility. [46] The NCAA later waived bowl eligibility requirements for the 2020–21 bowl season. [47]
On August 5, the College Football Playoff (CFP) announced that it would delay the announcement of its final rankings and matchups for the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl from December 6 to December 20, in order to accommodate conferences that had delayed their championship games to mid-December. [48] The CFP announced that it would still go on as scheduled, with only the teams playing in the fall being eligible for consideration in its rankings. [49]
The voting deadline for the Heisman Trophy was similarly pushed back to December 21, with the presentation likewise scheduled for January 5, 2021. On November 14, the in-person presentation was canceled (its previous site, the PlayStation Theater in New York City, had also closed at the beginning of the year). [50] The presentation was moved to ESPN's studio in Bristol, Connecticut, scheduled as a television-only event with finalists and past winners appearing via remote interviews. [51]
Several bowl games were canceled due to the pandemic, while others, including the Fiesta Bowl and Rose Bowl, were restricted to being played behind closed doors without fans due to local health orders. [52] On December 19, the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association announced that the Rose Bowl would be re-located to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (typically the host of the Cotton Bowl Classic), citing rising cases in the state of California, and state health officials denying a request to allow at least the family members of players to attend. [53] Special permission was required from the city of Pasadena to use the Rose Bowl name, with the Tournament of Roses Association paying $2 million to the city to compensate for lost revenue and other expenses. [54] [55]
Player responses
Several players from the Pac-12 announced a unity group titled #WeAreUnited to negotiate with the conference and league with specific demands in regards to the 2020 football season. [56] [57] Including some players willing to boycott if their ultimatum was not satisfied. [58] Players from the Big Ten, created a similar unity which calls for increase in testing and safety protocols. [59]
Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence sparked a trend on Twitter with the hashtag, #WeWantToPlay, on August 9. [60] [61] Other players such as Justin Fields (Ohio State), Najee Harris (Alabama), and Chuba Hubbard (Oklahoma State), help contribute to make the hashtag No. 1 in the United States on Twitter. [60] President Donald Trump shared Lawrence's tweet, stating "The student-athletes have been working too hard for their season to be cancelled." as well using the #WeWantToPlay hashtag. [62] [63] Later #WeAreUnited and #WeWantToPlay merged with players across the Power 5, with the goal of creating a union. [64] [65] Nick Saban joins other coaches, Jim Harbaugh and Ryan Day, by joining the movement, by stating players will be safer from the virus together as a team than at home. [66] [67]
Eight Nebraska players sued the Big Ten in late-August 2020, claiming that the conference's council did not actually vote on postponing the football season. [68]
Teams opting out
Four teams opted out of their originally-scheduled 2020 football seasons as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Team | Conference | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| UConn Huskies | Independent | UConn canceled their 2020 season [69] [70] |
| UMass Minutemen | Independent | Reversed the decision to opt out of fall football [71] [lower-alpha 4] |
| New Mexico State Aggies | Independent | Opted out of playing fall football to play in spring 2021 [73] |
| Old Dominion Monarchs | Conference USA | Old Dominion canceled their 2020 season [74] [75] |
Attendance restrictions
Some teams announced that they tentatively planned to allow spectators at their games at a percentage of normal capacity, such as the Texas Longhorns (Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium was already to have slightly reduced capacity this season due to renovations) [76] and the North Carolina Tar Heels. [77] All events held in the state of New York, [78] as well as all Big Ten and Pac-12 games, were played behind closed doors. The Big Ten and Pac-12 bans applied even if spectators were otherwise allowed under local health orders. [79] [80] [81] [82] [83]
The Army Black Knights and Navy Midshipmen's home games were closed to the public, with attendance limited to their cadets and midshipmen respectively. On October 23, it was announced that the Army–Navy Game would be re-located from Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field to Michie Stadium—the Black Knights' home stadium at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point—citing Pennsylvania state restrictions on gatherings that would prevent the cadets and midshipmen from attending. As with their home games, attendance was limited to the academies' student bodies. It marked the first Army–Navy Game not played at a neutral site since 1943. [84] [85]
Postponed or canceled games
| Week | Game [86] | Make-up | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Week | |||
| Week 1 | Louisiana-Monroe at Troy | December 17, 2020 | Week 14 | |
| Jacksonville State at FIU | October 23, 2020 | Week 8 | ||
| Rice at Houston | Canceled | |||
| Week 2 | Tulsa at Oklahoma State | September 19, 2020 | Week 3 | |
| North Carolina State at Virginia Tech | September 26, 2020 | Week 4 | ||
| SMU at TCU | Canceled | |||
| FIU at No. 21 UCF | Canceled | |||
| Marshall at East Carolina | Canceled | |||
| Louisiana Tech at Baylor | Canceled | |||
| Week 3 | Charlotte at North Carolina | Canceled | ||
| No. 21 BYU at No. 22 Army | Canceled | |||
| Houston at Memphis | December 12, 2020 | Week 15 | ||
| Houston at Baylor | Canceled | |||
| Florida Atlantic at Georgia Southern | December 5, 2020 | Week 14 | ||
| Central Arkansas at Arkansas State | October 10, 2020 | Week 6 | ||
| Week 4 | No. 7 Notre Dame at Wake Forest | Canceled | ||
| Georgia State at Charlotte | Canceled | |||
| Tulsa at Arkansas State | Canceled | |||
| South Florida at Florida Atlantic | Canceled | |||
| North Texas at Houston | Canceled | |||
| Week 5 | Rice at Marshall | December 5, 2020 | Week 14 | |
| Troy at South Alabama | December 5, 2020 | Week 14 | ||
| Week 6 | Florida Atlantic at Southern Miss | December 10, 2020 | Week 15 | |
| UAB at Rice | December 12, 2020 | Week 15 | ||
| Week 7 | No. 7 Oklahoma State at Baylor | December 12, 2020 | Week 15 | |
| No. 8 Cincinnati at Tulsa | Canceled | |||
| LSU at No. 10 Florida | December 12, 2020 | Week 15 | ||
| Southern Miss at UTEP | Canceled | |||
| Vanderbilt at Missouri | November 28, 2020 | Week 15 | ||
| FIU at Charlotte | Canceled | |||
| Week 8 | New Mexico at Colorado State | Canceled | ||
| Week 9 | No. 19 Marshall at FIU | Canceled | ||
| No. 9 Wisconsin at Nebraska | Canceled | |||
| North Texas at UTEP | December 11, 2020 | Week 15 | ||
| Week 10 | Purdue at No. 10 Wisconsin | Canceled | ||
| Air Force at Army | December 19, 2020 | Week 16 | ||
| Tulsa at Navy | December 5, 2020 | Week 14 | ||
| UTSA at Rice | Canceled | |||
| Charlotte at Middle Tennessee | Canceled | |||
| Arizona at Utah | Canceled | |||
| FIU at UTEP | Canceled | |||
| Louisiana Tech at North Texas | December 3, 2020 | Week 14 | ||
| Louisville at Virginia | November 14, 2020 | Week 11 | ||
| Washington at California | Canceled | |||
| Week 11 | Air Force at Wyoming | Canceled | ||
| No. 1 Alabama at LSU | December 5, 2020 | Week 14 | ||
| No. 5 Texas A&M at Tennessee | December 19, 2020 | Week 16 | ||
| No. 12 Georgia at Missouri | December 12, 2020 | Week 15 | ||
| No. 24 Auburn at Mississippi State | December 12, 2020 | Week 15 | ||
| Memphis at Navy | November 28, 2020 | Week 13 | ||
| Louisiana–Monroe at Arkansas State | December 5, 2020 | Week 15 | ||
| No. 3 Ohio State at Maryland | Canceled | |||
| Rice at Louisiana Tech | Canceled | |||
| Pittsburgh at Georgia Tech | December 10, 2020 | Week 15 | ||
| No. 15 Coastal Carolina at Troy | December 12, 2020 | Week 15 | ||
| California at Arizona State | Canceled | As a make-up game, Cal and UCLA were rescheduled to play on November 15 at the Rose Bowl, for the 91st meeting in the California–UCLA football rivalry, not originally scheduled for the shortened Pac-12 season. [87] | ||
| Utah at UCLA | Canceled | |||
| Gardner–Webb at Charlotte | Canceled | |||
| Week 12 | UAB at UTEP | Canceled | ||
| Ohio at Miami (OH) | Canceled | |||
| Arizona State at Colorado | Canceled | |||
| Georgia Tech at No. 12 Miami (FL) | December 19, 2020 | Week 16 | ||
| Charlotte at No. 15 Marshall | Canceled | |||
| Ole Miss at No. 5 Texas A&M | Canceled | |||
| Louisiana–Monroe at Louisiana Tech | Canceled | |||
| Wake Forest at Duke | Canceled | |||
| Utah State at Wyoming | Canceled | |||
| Central Arkansas at No. 24 Louisiana | Canceled | |||
| Navy at South Florida | Canceled | |||
| Houston at SMU | Canceled | |||
| No. 22 Texas at Kansas | Canceled | |||
| UNLV at Colorado State | Canceled | |||
| Michigan State at Maryland | Canceled | |||
| Washington State at Stanford | Canceled | |||
| San Jose State at Fresno State | Canceled | |||
| No. 4 Clemson at Florida State | Canceled | |||
| Week 13 | Utah at Arizona State | Canceled | Utah and Washington were subsequently scheduled to play on November 28 at Husky Stadium, not originally scheduled for the shortened Pac-12 season. [88] | |
| Washington at Washington State | Canceled | |||
| Louisiana Tech at FIU | Canceled | |||
| No. 25 Tulsa at Houston | Canceled | |||
| Minnesota at No. 16 Wisconsin | December 19, 2020 | Week 16 | Had the makeup game not occurred, this rivalry game would have been canceled for the first time since 1906. | |
| Southern Miss at UAB | Canceled | |||
| No. 11 Oklahoma at West Virginia | Canceled | |||
| No. 7 Cincinnati at Temple | Canceled | |||
| Colorado State at Air Force | Canceled | |||
| San Diego State at Fresno State | Canceled | San Diego State and Colorado were subsequently scheduled to play an inter-conference game on November 28 at Folsom Field, not originally scheduled for either team. [89] | ||
| Colorado at No. 18 USC | Canceled | |||
| No. 4 Ohio State at Illinois | Canceled | |||
| Florida Atlantic at Middle Tennessee | Canceled | |||
| Virginia at Florida State | Canceled | |||
| San Jose State at Boise State | Canceled | |||
| UTEP at Rice | Canceled | |||
| Western Kentucky at Charlotte | December 6, 2020 | Week 14 | ||
| Week 14 | Southern Miss at UTEP | Canceled | ||
| No. 10 Miami (FL) at Wake Forest | Canceled | Miami (FL) and Duke were subsequently scheduled to play December 5 at Wallace Wade Stadium, it was not originally scheduled for either team. | ||
| Florida State at Duke | Canceled | |||
| No. 14 Northwestern at Minnesota | Canceled | |||
| Kent State at Miami (OH) | Canceled | |||
| Maryland at Michigan | Canceled | |||
| Boise State at UNLV | Canceled | |||
| Liberty at No. 18 Coastal Carolina | Canceled | BYU, ranked No. 13 in this week's CFP rankings, took Liberty's place as Coastal Carolina's opponent. | ||
| Houston at SMU | Canceled | |||
| Vanderbilt at No. 8 Georgia | December 19, 2020 | Week 16 | ||
| FIU at Charlotte | Canceled | The Western Kentucky at Charlotte game originally scheduled for last week but canceled due to COVID-19 was rescheduled for Sunday of this week. | ||
| Buffalo at Ohio | Canceled | |||
| UAB at Middle Tennessee | Canceled | |||
| Week 15 | No. 8 Cincinnati at No. 24 Tulsa | Canceled | ||
| Ole Miss at No. 5 Texas A&M | Canceled | |||
| Michigan at No. 4 Ohio State | Canceled | The Michigan–Ohio State rivalry game was not played for the first time since 1917. | ||
| Ohio at Kent State | Canceled | |||
| Charlotte at Marshall | Canceled | |||
| Purdue at No. 12 Indiana | Canceled | |||
| No. 11 Oklahoma at West Virginia | Canceled | |||
| Texas at Kansas | Canceled | |||
| Miami (OH) at Bowling Green | Canceled | |||
| Incarnate Word at Arkansas State | Canceled | |||
| Washington at Oregon | Canceled | |||
| Utah State at Colorado State | Canceled | This is the only game on this list not scrapped due to COVID-19. Instead, this ensued when the USU team would not travel to Fort Collins in protest of racially insensitive conditions on campus and on the football team. [90] | ||
| California at Washington State | Canceled | |||
| Week 16 | Georgia Tech at No. 18 Miami (FL) | Canceled | ||
| Arizona at California | Canceled | |||
| Louisiana-Monroe at Troy | Canceled | |||
| Vanderbilt at No. 8 Georgia | Canceled | |||
| Oregon at Colorado | Canceled | Oregon took Washington's place as USC's opponent in the Pac-12 Championship game. | ||
| Purdue at No. 11 Indiana | Canceled | The Old Oaken Bucket game was not played for the first time since 1919. | ||
| Michigan at No. 16 Iowa | Canceled | |||
| Michigan State at Maryland | Canceled | |||
| No. 19 Louisiana at No. 12 Coastal Carolina | Canceled | This game, the Sun Belt Conference Football Championship Game, was the only conference championship game to be canceled. The Sun Belt announced that both schools would be co-champions. | ||
| Florida State at Wake Forest | Canceled | |||
