NCAA President Mark Emmert said he remains "very concerned" about the status of fall sports and thinks a delayed start and shortened schedule might "make sense," according to Heather Dinich of ESPN.com. In order to feel it is safe for fall sports to continue, Emmert said, "We need to clearly see the indicators of viral spread be moving in a much better direction than they are right now." Dinich noted the NCAA's role throughout the pandemic has "mainly been that of advisor, issuing medical guidelines and protocols, while adjusting rules and granting waivers to provide conferences with more flexibility than usual." It quickly and quietly "shouldered more significance recently, though," when the NCAA BOG "began to seriously consider the possibility of canceling fall championships." While the board decided not to make a decision last Friday, Emmert said that it is "possible they will at their next meeting on Aug. 4." Emmert said that he is still "hopeful the November championships are played," but if they are canceled, it "doesn't mean that the regular seasons couldn't still happen." Emmert: "The determination of our championships would be about whether or not we could bring together large groups of students in these kinds of environments and do it safely. That's the decision point" (ESPN.com, 7/28).
