ACC commissioner, John Swofford, believes that they will play football in the fall. This is obviously the type of news Syracuse football fans want to hear.
On May 14, ACC commissioner, John Swofford said, “We are going into this year with the anticipation of playing at this point.” This is music to the ears for Syracuse football players, coaches, and fans.
Much speculation has gone into if college football will go on in the fall. Separate from all of the other collegiate sports, FBS college football is not sanctioned by the NCAA. In other words, they can go their own route, should NCAA commissioner, Mark Emmert decide to cancel other fall sports.
This brings up a multitude of options. One popular one, is that the power five conferences could play their own season separate from the other FBS teams. This may also include league-play only, no out of state or travel, or other changes to what a normal schedule may look like.
However, Swofford mentioned that as of now, all 15 ACC football schools does intend to bring students back in the fall of 2020, in one way or another. Previously, it had been noted that Boston College, Pittsburgh, and yes, Syracuse, had still made no decision. While SU still hasn’t, this does shed light on the fact that a plan is in the works, which would be huge for the conference as a whole.
In my mind, play the game, but do it safely. It’s sad to say, but there may not be any sell out games in the Carrier Dome this fall, and there may not even be a game that has one fan in attendance. Players may have to take weekly Covid-19 tests and if it starts spreading again at a rapid rate, these schools may not hesitate to cancel again and write away the entire 2020 college football season.
However, sports certainly brings closure in tough times, and football is America’s game. Safety comes first, but here’s hoping SU can run on the field come September.