ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit weighed in on the grim state of the NCAA season on Monday, expressing that the season is very much in doubt.
ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit spoke candidly on Monday regarding the fate of the 2020 NCAA football season, remarking that the upcoming week will be “crazy” for college football and speaking about the uncertainty surrounding some of the major conferences.
While the Big Ten and Pac-12 have reportedly made the difficult decision to cancel their seasons, the decisions of the ACC, SEC, and Big 12 still loom. According to Herbstreit, the SEC will be the last conference standing regardless of the others’ decisions, with the conference’s leadership appearing adamant that a season will take place.
Kirk Herbstreit has fans bracing for a crazy week ahead in college football
With high-profile players like Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, and Chuba Hubbard tweeting out #WeWantToPlay, the call for the season to continue has reached a fever pitch, with President Trump retweeting Lawrence’s statements.
However, at least two of the Power Five conferences appear to have decided against football in the fall. Safety concerns abound due to the continued surge of coronavirus cases throughout the United States, and while players argue that having football will give them a safer, more structured lifestyle, university leaders seem to feel that canceling the season is the better option.
Herbstreit’s statements paint a grim picture, though. The longtime ESPN commentator seemed resigned to the idea that the NCAA will likely not have a season in 2020, a jarring statement from one of the sport’s loudest voices.
While Herbstreit could pick up NFL duties in the absence of a college football season, the absence of a college season could have wide-ranging effects on the football landscape. Although the SEC seemingly plans to play, some have floated the idea of a spring season, which could potentially interfere with the NFL Draft process.
Regardless, the 2020 college football season appears to be in limbo at the moment, and with the Big Ten and Pac-12 reportedly out, it could only be a matter of time before the ACC and Big 12 join them.
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