With the COVID-19 pandemic putting an on-time start to the college football season in jeopardy, there's been speculation that the season could be moved to the spring to allow more time to respond to the virus.
Legendary Ohio State coach Urban Meyer is not exactly bullish on the idea, saying there's "no chance" a spring college football season happens.
Meyer's primary concern with moving the season to spring is that it would leave far too little turnaround time before the 2021 college football season, which would start the following fall.
“When you play a long season and when you get to spring practice," Meyer said on Fox's Big Noon Kickoff. "When you play 2,000 competitive reps, your body is not ready for contact in three months or two months. It’s not. I would not put those players in harm’s way."
Big Noon Kickoff is back with a special guest!@LSUfootball's @coach_EdOrgeron joins @CoachUrbanMeyer, @JoelKlatt, @ReggieBush, @MattLeinartQB & @RobStoneOnFOX to discuss his magical season and rank their top 5 coaches https://t.co/O2gURkF67G
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) July 8, 2020
“You talk about student-athlete welfare," Meyer continued, "no chance. You’re not doing that."
But even aside from the player safety concerns, a move to spring has another consequence that has Meyer doubting the possibility of a spring season: college football's top players would be unlikely to play.
The NFL has reportedly already made it clear that it isn't interested in moving its league draft from April to accommodate a spring college football season, which means the NFL Draft would likely take place in the middle of a spring college football season.
Meyer expects many potential draft picks to sit out a spring season to head to the NFL.
“If I’m Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields or [Chris] Olave, some of these high, high draft picks, I’m not playing," Meyer said. "I’m getting to go make some money and go earn a living and support my family.”
If there's going to be a college football season of any kind, there's a lot to figure out in the coming weeks.
