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Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to have a phone call with the College Football Playoff Management Committee on Wednesday, according to a report from CNN White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins.
The management committee is made up of the 10 conference commissioners of the FBS level of college football, as well as Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick. It is assumed that Pence will provide an update on the ongoing coronavirus pandemic during the phone call.
Vice President Pence has a call with the College Football Playoff Management Committee today.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) April 15, 2020
Playing the college football season on time has been a topic of conversation recently, with several head coaches, athletic directors and conference commissioners providing their opinions on what will happen. With the start of the season still four months away, it’s a bit premature to know what will happen, but decision-makers are expected to start considering all options near the end of May.
Recently, Dr. Anthony Fauci said in an interview with Snapchat’s Peter Hamby that a return to sports in the summer is possible, but that fan attendance should not be permitted.
“There’s a way of doing that,” Fauci said. “Nobody comes to the stadium. Put [the players] in big hotels, wherever you want to play, keep them very well surveilled. … Have them tested every single week and make sure they don’t wind up infecting each other or their family, and just let them play the season out.”
One concern about college football, however, is if fans are not permitted in the stadium that the student-athletes might also be risking their safety by participating. It could present a bigger issue for college athletics than professional sports.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB