With the news of the Pac-12 joining the ACC and Big Ten (conference-only model) and University of Southern California deciding to cancel its season opener versus Alabama, Greg Sankey of the Southeastern Conference is getting very concerned about the possibility of even having a college football season.
It would have been the second time in the Nick Saban era for USC to face the Crimson Tide inside AT&T Stadium, but Coronavirus concerns resulted in the matchup getting cancelled on Friday. While there is still an opportunity for Alabama to land TCU from the Big 12 to replace the Trojans, Commissioner Sankey told ESPN’s Marty Smith and Ryan McGee that his concern about the plausibility of having a 2020 football season has gone from ‘high to very high.’
.@SEC Commissioner @GregSankey tells @ESPNMcGee and me on #MartyandMcGee that his concern about the plausibility of having a 2020 football season: “High to very high.”
— Marty Smith (@MartySmithESPN) July 11, 2020
Yep…that’s exactly what I said…and have been saying. I want to provide the opportunity for college athletics to be part of the fall, but we need to all consider our behavior to make possible what right now appears very difficult. “The direct reality is not good…” https://t.co/z3pHGeMIa9
— Greg Sankey (@GregSankey) July 11, 2020
Four SEC schools have in-state rivalry matchups versus the ACC, in terms of Florida-Florida State, Georgia-Georgia Tech, South Carolina-Clemson and Kentucky-Louisville. If the conference-only look for the ACC affects these games as well, it becomes devastating for fans.
Also, Auburn was originally scheduled to play North Carolina and Georgia was set to battle Virginia to open its season.
RELATED: Breaking: USC pulls out of season opening matchup against Alabama
Since the global pandemic hit the realm of athletics in March, leaders in college football and other sports have been concerned about the health and safety of players, coaches, fans and others that are invested. Neither the SEC nor Big 12 has mentioned anything about moving toward a conference-only look, but the optimism for a season is not looking particularly good.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
