Several major conferences have already postponed sports during the fall, and more could be on the way because of the risks involved with the coronavirus pandemic.
“Right now, if testing stays as it is, there’s no way we can go forward with sports,” NCAA Chief Medical Officer Brian Hainline told CNN (via Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic).
Hainline is also the vice president of the NCAA’s Sport Science Institute, which was created “to promote and develop safety, excellence and wellness in college student-athletes.”
The Big Ten has already postponed the fall season because of health concerns, including college football, an action followed by the Pac-12. So far, the SEC, ACC and Big 12 are planning to continue with the season, but there have been health setbacks.
Oklahoma recently had nine players test positive for COVID-19 after getting a week off from training camp.
“We’re not in a place today where we could safely play sports,” Hainline said.
One of the biggest issues for college sports includes the times student-athletes are socializing with others on campus. Notre Dame has notably seen a spike in cases since students have arrived on campus.
The latest saliva tests could help Hainline’s concerns about testing, but there are major question marks about going forward with the season. ACC games are still scheduled to begin in mid-September.
Keith Srakocic