Swofford said that scenarios for '20-21 cover having an abbreviated football season or no footballGETTY IMAGES
ACC Commissioner John Swofford said that while the conference is "anticipating having a relatively normal football season," it also is "financially planning for a series of scenarios amid the coronavirus pandemic that not only include having no football season, but also having no sports at all this upcoming school year," according to Steve Berkowitz of USA TODAY. Swofford also said that he believes it "will not be necessary for all of the ACC schools' programs to be operational for the conference to conduct fall sports competition, that testing of athletes will be a critical component of the resumption of team training on campus and that uniform protocols within the conference concerning the frequency and timing of testing will be a goal before the resumption of competition." Swofford said that scenarios for '20-21 also "cover having an abbreviated football season and having no football season but then having a basketball season." Asked whether he can see the ACC functioning if some schools and/or some athletics programs are up and running and some are not, Swofford said, "Probably so. I don't know what the threshold is on that. We haven't really reached a point of having that discussion. I'm sure we will. ... It's premature to answer that" (USA TODAY, 5/15).
LEARNING CURVE: In Greensboro, Ed Hardin notes Swofford "would prefer that students be in session before college games could be played." Swofford: "Intercollegiate athletics is students playing sports. Personally, that seems foreign to me." He added, "If campuses are back and generally operating and teaching in whatever way, that certainly improves the likelihood that games are being played" (Greensboro NEWS & RECORD, 5/15).
MORE DECISIONS TO BE MADE: In Tallahassee, Curt Weiler notes the ACC has "not yet discussed eliminating or reducing the size of any conference championship events." Swofford said that he "doesn't want to see a premature decision and that the conference will adjust depending on how the next few months play out." Swofford also said that the conference is "aware of the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus in the fall and that is forcing conference officials to create more hypothetical possibilities for how the fall season may play out" (TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT, 5/15).
GROUP EFFORT: In Richmond, David Teel notes the ACC has "appointed a COVID-19 medical advisory panel." The group "includes one member from each of the 15 league schools" and is chaired by Duke Associate Professor of Medicine Dr. Cameron Wolfe. Moreover, a committee of four ACC ADs -- Clemson's Dan Radakovich, Miami's Blake James, N.C. State's Boo Corrigan and Syracuse's John Wildhack -- is "studying football issues." Virginia Tech AD Whit Babcock, a member of the NCAA D-I football oversight committee, "offers input to the league panel" (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 5/15).
