On Tuesday, August 11, two of the Power Five conferences, the Big Ten and Pac-12, announced they will postpone their fall seasons, including football, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. The ACC, Big 12 and SEC met shortly after, deciding to continue with their current plans for the upcoming season.
With the uncertainty of whether we will see games on the field in the upcoming months, players have vocalized their desires to play this fall, even those whose seasons have been canceled, under the hashtags #WeAreUnited and #WeWantToPlay. Clemson's Quarterback Trevor Lawrence took to Twitter to show his support:
#WeWantToPlay https://t.co/jvQhE7noGB— Trevor Lawrence (@Trevor Lawrence) 1597032067.0
Various coaches showed their support toward the players posting under the hashtag, including Florida Gators Head Coach Dan Mullen and Miami Hurricanes Head Coach Manny Diaz.
Impressed by our guys ability to block out the noise and bring the energy today for Practice 4. These men want to p… https://t.co/PiUSleh7Xr— Manny Diaz (@Manny Diaz) 1597108654.0
While both the Hurricanes and Gators are part of conferences that have plans to play, weeks remain before any gameplay is scheduled, leaving time for decisions to change and hearts to be broken.
While the Big Ten has cancelled all football for the upcoming fall, parents have come foward pushing the conference to reconsider. Paresnts of different schools within the conference will protest outside of the Big Ten headquarters in Chicago Friday August 20th. Randy Wade, a parent of an Ohio State football player, will lead the protests at the headquarters, protessting the decision to postpone football. Schools with parent representatives include Ohio State, Penn Sate, Indiana, Purdue, Iowa and Nebraska, coming from all different states around the country.
University of South Florida's new Head Coach Jeff Scott took to Twitter to propose a new "power group" of conferences to replace the Power Five:
The New Power 4.... (2020) SEC ACC BIG XII AAC Conference champions go to @CFBPlayoff 🤔🤔🤔🤔 #WeWantToPlay— Coach Jeff Scott (@Coach Jeff Scott) 1597177336.0
USF, part of the AAC conference, plans to play games in the fall, with practices currently being held daily on campus.
While it is unsure if college football will be played this fall, one thing is for sure. The presence of college football is a big aspect to many lives, including players, coaches, parents, and anyone who enjoys to watch the game. It is clear the huge impact cancellatios will have this upcoming season, with many more questions still left unanswered.
