It has now been over five months since we were able to watch college sports. We have sat back and witnessed the NCAA try to work out a decision, having months to do so, yet we sit here in August still unsure about the fate of college sports. We had skeptical hope for a season until now, as two of the Power Five conferences have already backed out for the fall. Now it almost feels like we are just waiting for the ACC to do the same. 

There seems to be almost no way college sports could succeed right now without an outbreak. As many professional leagues return to their seasons, those not in a bubble are still struggling to control outbreaks, and these individuals are athletes as their full-time job. 

We are asking students who attend in-person classes and practices, who maintain a social life and provide for themselves, to never encounter COVID-19 in the middle of a pandemic.

With all the struggles of a college environment, is it even possible to play in the fall? I would say yes, but it would be extremely difficult. All athletes would have to take all online classes, while also quarantining with their team for the entire season, similar to the bubble the NBA has placed to insure safety. But even then, can you ask these students to sacrifice their social lives for a sport they aren’t even getting paid for? Even if we did, this plan is still not foolproof.

Our best bet for college sports is a vaccine. The sooner a vaccine is available, the sooner college sports can resume. It is the only way to guarantee protection against COVID-19 for our players and coaches. Currently, the United States is still the country with the most virus cases, and there are no signs that these numbers are slowing down, and with the death toll topping 160,000, college sports do not need to be played. 

The best decision that can be made right now is to postpone fall sports until the spring, and then make that decision when the time comes, depending on the state of our nation in this pandemic. In the meantime, we should all be focusing on the safety and well-being of ourselves and each other and doing our part to end this pandemic. Social distance, wear a mask and we can be back in Carter-Finley.