A JERSEY GUY: Master Plan to Save CFB Being Considered

A plan to place football players in a "protective'' on-campus bubble is being discussed.

Faced with a rapidly approaching football season, as well as still spiking COVID-19 numbers, a plan has been proposed to reduce campus attendance, but with the football team preparing for the season in a semi-secluded environment.

According to conference sources, the plan is based on schools teaching the majority of their classes online as well as reducing the campus attendance to 20 percent of the student body.

The criticism heard previously was  football playing on campuses "without students" was a deal breaker.

According to this plan, which started with one major Power 5 conference school, but quickly picked up momentum, the football team would be folded into the 20 percent of the student body.

All other athletic teams would be included in the same grouping.

There is also a proposal being discussed by the ACC to limit its season to only 10 conference games, eliminating the one non-conference game for all teams.

Several schools, including Boston College (scheduled to play Ohio) have already had that gap in their schedule and chosen not to fill it.

In such an environment, athletic administrators could pretty much control their player's activities, with football and classroom activities conducted in one small area. With dining facilities available nearby, the scenario could provide some isolation from a main campus that would be largely empty.

There would still be gaps in the system if the players went off on their own, but like the NBA plan, any such move would be monitored closely, with testing done on a regular basis (perhaps daily) for any signs of the COVID-19 virus.

Schools, who felt they had the COVID-19 issue under control, could simply maintain their control over the football team with a larger portion of the student body on campus, while sequestering their players as much as possible, including online courses and frequent testing.

According to sources, such a plan is likely to begin in the ACC, but could quickly be adopted by the other conferences--SEC, Big 12, American Athletic Conference, Sunbelt and Conference USA.

Those conferences held meetings on Tuesday, considering many different factors, including medical issues and analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic which have varied widely in their projections.

To make the 20 percent plan work, schools would have to make the decision to forfeit some room and board money and make decisions on which students would be part of the group taking courses on campus, as opposed to those living off campus or at home.

It is a complicated procedure which faces a great many obstacles, but it is plan many FBS football officials believe has a chance.

"It has a chance, more than a chance,'' said one ACC coach. ""We can control a lot of it and this would make it easier.''

While that was going on on Tuesday, the Big 12 was dealing with a different issue involving Oklahoma, which reportedly is leaning against the sentiment of its brethren who want to continue with the season.

Normally this would result in a stalemate.

Not so much this time because Texas is leading a charge to continue, with or WITHOUT Oklahoma as part of the conference for football this season.

The reason such a plan may have some legs is that eliminating Oklahoma opens the conference race for the other teams, even more so if Texas stumbles.

OU's dilemma is obvious.

The Sooners could take the stance that it's too dangerous to play, but are facing an additional financial issue if they step away from football and part of the approximately $42 million Big 12 broadcast rights payout.

If the 20 percent student attendance plan is considered, it could either increase or ease Oklahoma's angst.

As has been the case through the entire process, the SEC stands rock solid with its plan to begin its season on Sept. 26th, with growing speculation being that the SEC is going to play football this season no matter what the circumstances or the number of participants.