Ohio State not exploring options for fall football

Ohio State will not be exploring any options about playing football this fall as they are focusing on a potenteial spring season.

After it was announced that The Big Ten Conference was canceling fall sports many held out hope that their favorite school would explore any and all options to still play in the fall. This included Ohio State, but this is not an option being considered. Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith informed ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg of the decision.

Staging a fall football season would have been difficult. The amount of people involved is so much larger than the other sports that are currently taking place. The NBA, NHL, MLS, and WNBA have all played in a bubble format and they have experienced very little issues. MLB on the other hand has not gone smoothly, with entire teams being shut down and players violating protocols without realizing the impact it could have on their teammates. Football would require a setup similar to baseball and that simply is not realistic. The size of the production combined with the nearly infinite external independent variables in the equation makes it nearly impossible to play a fall season safely.

The best bet for college football is to wait until the spring and hope, truly hope that things are significantly better in regards to COVID-19. If not, the next time college football can safely be played may be the fall of 2021.