SEC to play conference-only games in 2020 football season
- by Grant Boone
- in Sports
- — Aug 2, 2020
The Southeastern Conference has announced on Thursday it will adopt a 10-game schedule that will only include conference games, a format accepted by two other athletic conferences.
Tennessee will kick off the 2020 football season September 26. "Those rivalry games are huge in the Southeast, huge in those respective states, and really, really big nationally from that standpoint, so you hate to see those disrupted, but each conference ultimately has to do what they believe is in their best interest".
It won't look like it usually does, but the SEC is still planning to play a college football season in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The start of the season will also be delayed until September 26 from its original September 5 start date.
Central Michigan isn't directly affected by Thursday's SEC announcement, but the Chippewas certainly feel the Eagles' pain, after they lost nonconference games against Nebraska and Northwestern when the Big Ten chose to play a conference-only schedule earlier this month. One of the reasons for paring down the schedule by a game and moving back the ACC Championship to December 12 or December 19 is for flexibility surrounding the pandemic. "Today's announcement outlines a specific path for ACC fall sports to return to intercollegiate athletic competition using comprehensive protocols put forward by our ACC Medical Advisory Group".
"That doesn't make sense to me", Wildhack said. "The toughest conference in college football is going to battle it out in historic fashion". The school's games broadcast on NBC under their national broadcast deal will be included in the conference's agreement that all 15 schools will split media revenues.
"We just need everyone to do their part to bring an end to this pandemic, " James told WQAM. But college students, including athletes, roam campuses and mingle with other coeds, likely making every day a scary one for coaches trying to keep the situation in check. Georgia announced Thursday afternoon all fans allowed in Sanford Stadium this fall will be required to wear masks, and when asked about the decision, Sterk said Missouri would follow health guidelines based on the number of local coronavirus cases.
The SEC changing to a schedule of only conference games means Notre Dame will no longer host Arkansas in week two.
Swofford said the ACC intends to move forward with its plan to play one nonconference game in the home state of each institution, adding all schools are on track to play that additional game.
Wildhack said the university continues to put together various models for hosting fans in the event NY state lifts its ban on spectators at sporting events.
