The ever-changing landscape of college sports because of COVID-19 might make a grown person mad. Don’t cry though. Just because the Ivy League will not play any fall sports or the Big 10 traveling outside their footprint there is still a chance Advent Health Field will see football this fall. For it to happen though, things will have to fall in to place according to the 11-page manifesto the NAIA released on July 1st. What has to happen for there to be sports in the fall? Will there have to be an act of the deity of your choice? Let’s take a look at a couple of big takeaways from the plans the NAIA has laid out.
In an exciting section on page three titled “Threshold Policy Overview,” the NAIA makes it clear right out of the gate fall sports are in the hands of local authorities. In the case of football this fall, 47 teams must be cleared to play for a season to take place. To add to that statement, those 47 teams must be cleared by August 15th. So in the heat of the moment, one may want to scream loud obscenities because that seems to be impossible. COVID-19 is currently exploding like fireworks in the night’s sky. Cheer up Charlie, it’s not entirely out of the question that half of the schools could be approved for fall competition. Sure that’s a large hill to climb but we didn’t give up when the 1994 Major League Baseball season was threatened, did we? Oh, wait, this just in. I’m told we did give up. The numbers aren’t in our favor. They weren’t in our favor in the Super Bowl last February. Here in Franklin County the home of Ottawa University, COVID-19 cases are almost four times higher than what they were a month ago. The amount of cases in the Kansas City area where Avila and Saint Mary are continues to grow. Wichita (the home of Friends) has been a hot spot. Which begs the question. What happens if multiple teams in the KCAC are not able to compete? Does the season go on with a truncated group of teams? Could the KCAC partner with another conference? These are questions that currently do not have answers. So, let’s say that hill has been cleared. That still doesn’t make it a sure thing because each school will be in charge of testing the athletes.
With each institution responsible for testing athletes daily there is a lot of pressure on the colleges keeping the athletes safe and healthy. There will be a COVID-19 scoresheet used to determine if a player is eligible to play or practice. On game days, all players, coaches, staff, and officials will be tested within six hours before game time. If a player is found to score high enough on the COVID screening they will be removed from practice or play immediately. So what happens if a team doesn’t have enough players to be able to play? Does that team forfeit the game? What happens if the Coaching Staff is not allowed to coach? Those questions still need to be answered by the NAIA and member conferences.
One thing is certain. Nothing with COVID-19 is for certain. Sure we are one step closer to possible sports in the fall, but there are still too many questions to be answered.
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