All Things CW: Alabama AD Greg Byrne Again Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place

At what point does the latest COVID-19 surge force the Crimson Tide to draw a line about who can attend games at Bryant-Denny Stadium?

There are times I think that Greg Byrne has the best job in Tuscaloosa. 

There are also times I think he has the worst job. 

Sometimes I'll think both over the course of one day. 

This time a year ago, the University of Alabama athletic director was just trying to reassure fans that there would be a 2020 football season. On the heels of the Big Ten and Pac-12's decision to postpone fall sports, Byrne made it clear that the SEC's goal was still to play, and targeting the Sept. 26 start date for the 10-game conference-only schedule. 

Somehow, someway, the Southeastern Conference and Alabama pulled it off in impressive fashion, although the lack of fans in the stands at Bryant-Denny Stadium and elsewhere left a huge financial void.

Fast forward to this year, and the angst is growing again. 

There's no doubt that college football will be played this season. We've figured out  a lot and there's simply too much to lose, plus Nick Saban is on the record as saying everyone associated with the team minus one person has been vaccinated. 

But then the barriers started coming up again during fall camp, before the student body arrived for the fall semester. Interviews with players were canceled except on Zoom. Practices were again closed to reporters. You see a video of a speaker and everyone's wearing masks.

Meanwhile, the conferences are announcing one by one that teams that can't field a team due to a COVID-19 outbreak will have to forfeit games. 

College football is moving forward.

It's the fans' part one has to start wondering about, especially in the South. 

Alabama still plans to fill Bryant-Denny Stadium to capacity for its home opener against Mercer on Sept. 11, and every other Saturday in Tuscaloosa. But thanks to the Delta variant, COVID-19 has bounced back with a vengeance. 

The state reported 4,023 new cases Tuesday, which you kind of hoped might be due to a weekend lag in the reporting. It wasn't. The Alabama Department of Public Health said it was up to 4,465 on Wednesday.

The Delta variant affects kids and students, can be transmitted through people who are vaccinated, and can quickly spread.

Throughout the state, hospitals are no longer bracing for things to get worse—they're already overrun with COVID-19 patients. There are no open ICU beds. UAB officials are projecting that the number of people needing hospitalization could double by the time Mercer comes to town. 

It gets worse. Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo said on CNN that 5,000 hospitalizations is a “potentially apocalyptic” scenario. AL.com reported that a UAB researcher estimates that up to 40 percent of the entire state population could contract COVID-19 between July and September.

There have been 1,269 cases in Tuscaloosa County over the past two weeks, but that number is about to jump up with students back in town and classes getting underway on campus (remember, UA made national news last year due to an alarming surge at the beginning of the semester).

But even if the university could offer something like the chance to receive vaccinations on site, or on the Quad before home games, and permit those people to enter the stadium wearing a mask, would fans take them up on it? 

As we saw last year people have a tendency to ignore their masks when yelling for their favorite team.

Among states, Alabama is last in the nation for fully vaccinated people at 35.9 percent.

• Total doses given: 3.86 million

• People fully vaccinated: 1.76 million 

• Percent fully vaccinated: 35.9 percent 

Here's the visual that's hard to shake: 

Imagine a full Bryant-Denny Stadium. All of the upper decks combined would be somewhere around 35.9 percent. 

All of the people in the lower bowl and suites would represent those not fully vaccinated. 

So if you're Greg Byrne and the other university officials, what do you do? 

There's also the question of what can they do. A state law is in place prohibiting government agencies from issuing documentation to certify vaccine status or requiring that people show proof of vaccination. It also prohibits private businesses from requiring proof of vaccination.

The state's mask mandate expired April 9. The latest public health order encourages but does not require residents to wear masks when within six feet of someone from another household.

From California to New York you're seeing restaurants, bars, clubs, gyms and large indoor events requiring proof of vaccinations to enter without wearing a mask. Some teams are beginning to do so as well, including the Raiders and Saints.

At least Alabama has the advantage of playing in an outdoor venue, which is obviously huge. However, the Crimson Tide has games scheduled in three states in terrible shape: Florida, Mississippi and Texas. Georgia, site of the season opener on Sept. 4, against Miami at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta (which calls itself "an outdoor stadium with a roof over it"), isn't much better. 

Yes, the Crimson Tide filled up Rhoads Stadium at the end of last season and there were full crowds at the Women's College World Series. But that was before the impact of the Delta variant really started to be felt. Plus, Alabama had its biggest basketball fan die just after the NCAA Tournament. 

You know it's all weighing heavily on Byrne, who is also dealing with new NIL rules, new transfer rules, conference expansion (although that will help financially), playoff expansion and scores of other issues in other sports. 

"I had COVID and it kicked my butt," he said earlier this summer.  

"It's something that if I can avoid going through that again I certainly want to. As much as anything I want to make sure I don't get anybody else sick, because, you know, a lot of people will have had very little reaction when they got COVID and others have passed away. So it's all over the yard. 

"With that, we saw the vaccine as something that gives us the best opportunity to get back to normal, and I feel like we're making a lot of good progress with that which is encouraging to see." 

Here's hoping things do make a major turn back toward normal, and soon. However, if they continue to deteriorate as expected, Byrne and other school officials are going to have to make some very tough calls again. 

The Favorites 

Per BetOnline.ag, here are the top three favorites to win each conference, along with the latest odds:

ACC: Clemson 1/6; North Carolina 15/2; Miami 9/1

American Athletic: Cincinnati 5/13; UCF 3/1; Memphis 10/1

Big 12: Oklahoma 1/2; Iowa State 5/2; Texas 15/2

Big Ten: Ohio State 5/111; Wisconsin 5/1; Iowa 9/1

Conference USA: Marshall 3/1; UAB 3/1; Texas-San Antonio 13/4

MAC: Toledo 2/1; Ball State 9/2; Kent State 9/2

Mountain West: Boise State 1/1; Nevada 3/1; San Jose State 15/2

PAC 12: Oregon 5/2; Arizona State 4/1; USC 4/1; Utah 4/1; Washington 4/1

SEC: Alabama 5/8; Georgia 2/1; Texas A&M 11/1

Sun Belt: Lafayette 10/11; Coastal Carolina 8/5; Appalachian State 3/1

Say What?

ESPN's Todd McShay released his preseason top 50 list of prospects for the 2022 NFL Draft, and as one would expect it was full of both quarterbacks and Crimson Tide talents. 

His top Alabama player listed was safety Jordan Battle at No. 24, with defensive lineman DJ Dale at No. 28. That would make them the equivalent of being first-round worthy. 

He mentioned two other Crimson Tide players, John Metchie III and Christian Harris. 

Notably absent was Evan Neal, Alabama's left tackle this season and likely Outland Trophy candidate. That came as a shock after Neal was listed ninth on McShay's way-too-early list back in May.  

Meanwhile, the latest mock from NFL Draft Bible has Neal going No. 8 overall to the Carolina Panthers. 

"If Alex Leatherwood can be a top 20 pick, Neal should be a first-round lock. He will test off the charts at 360 pounds and will be compared very similarly to Mekhi Becton. Neal doesn't have the power Becton does, but Neal is better in pass protection. With some improvements and showing he can play left tackle next season, Neal should be the first tackle off the board. Carolina doesn't have a long-term starter at left tackle and, if they choose to stick with Darnold, will need to protect his blindside." 

Did you Notice?

• Dak Prescott’s Heal Turn

• The 25 Most Intriguing College Football Coaches of 2021

• In Jalen Duren, College Basketball Has its First Big NIL Recruiting Win

• In case you missed Landon Dickerson's pregame outfit: 

Christopher Walsh's notes column regularly appears on BamaCentral.