In just over two weeks, it’s presumed that the Duke Football team will board a chartered plane, fly to South Bend and play a nationally televised game in front of a Notre Dame Stadium crowd at 20 percent capacity.
This highly anticipated kickoff seems so close yet still so very far away. Any inkling of excitement is soon met with trepidation, as we still have no idea if the rug will be pulled out from under the college football season like it was for the Big Ten and Pac-12.
Such an uncomfortable level of ambiguity is likely to persist throughout the fall, until the season ends with the crowning of a national champion from the ACC, SEC or Big 12 or (gulp!) it comes to an abrupt conclusion brought on by the ever-present COVID-19 pandemic.
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly is helping his team navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, but if his team plays this season will also depend on the 11 programs the Fighting Irish are scheduled to face in 2020. (Blue & Gold Illustrated)
As we inch closer to Sept. 12, a microscope will continue to hover over those college football programs and campuses still preparing for a 2020 season.
All things considered, it seems Notre Dame has done a decent job of limiting the spread of the virus when it comes to its football program, with nine positives since players returned for summer workouts in mid-June.
After having 37 players test positive in the first month after returning to campus, the Tigers appear to have their safety protocols under control. Per Grace Raynor of The Athletic on Aug. 21, the football program has produced one positive result since July 10.
Thus far, the student body and university employees have produced a total of 265 positive test results, according to the Clemson COVID-19 Dashboard.
Additionally, the school announced a series of furloughs on Aug. 24 that will impact 50 percent of its full-time workforce. All employees making more than $400,000 will take at least a 10 percent pay cut, including head coach Dabo Swinney.
Duke
As of July 31, 25 Duke student-athletes had tested positive. At least two football players had opted out of the season. At least to start the season, there will be no fans in attendance at Blue Devil home games.
In mid-August, FSU wide receiver Warren Thompson accused the training staff of lying to players regarding symptoms associated with COVID-19. However, other players have since come to the training staff’s defense on social media and Thompson has since apologized.
Even if the Seminoles actually have responsible COVID-19 safety protocols, there is still concern that the Florida State campus will be a hotbed for the virus.
It was recently announced that the university will allow pregame tailgates prior to home football games. Fortunately, the Irish get the Seminoles in South Bend.
After shutting down practices in July due to 37 student-athletes, coaches and athletics staff members who tested positive, it’s unclear if any more student-athletes have yielded positive results.
But all UNC athletic programs temporarily paused activities after the school pivoted to fully remote learning on Aug. 17 after a roughly 140-person outbreak on campus.
Per a report from the Associated Press, the Tar Heel football program resumed practice on Monday, Aug. 24, and intends to proceed with the season even with non-student-athletes returning home.
Additionally, at least four North Carolina football players have opted out of the season.
Pittsburgh
The school is not releasing COVID-19 testing numbers for athletes, but the Panthers’ football program was forced to cancel practice on Aug. 13 after several players exhibited symptoms associated with the virus.
Four times out of the first eight days of fall camp, Syracuse football players chose to sit out of practice, claiming that the program was not testing for COVID-19 often enough.
The players were being tested every other week during fall camp.
Wake Forest
The athletic department is not releasing COVID-19 testing information, although it appears defensive tackle Sulaiman Kamara may have accidentally admitted that only one person had tested positive, per the Winston-Salem Journal on Aug. 18.
Wide receiver Sage Surratt, considered the team’s top returning playmaker, will sit out the season to prepare for the NFL Draft.
It also doesn't hurt to pay attention to the ACC teams Notre Dame isn't playing, and some important news just came out regarding North Carolina State and Virginia Tech's Sept. 12 matchup.
After NC State was forced to pause due to an outbreak in the athletic department, their match with the Hokies will now take place two weeks later on Sept. 26.
