TOPLINE
President Donald Trump and prominent Republicans are publicly saying they want to see a college football season in the fall, as plans for the 2020 season are unraveling, with one of the top conferences reportedly deciding to cancel its season.
US President Donald Trump joins Naval Academy cadets during the the Army v. Navy American Football ... [+]
KEY FACTS
Plans to have a 2020 college football season took a massive hit on Monday, when news broke that the Big Ten, one of the most powerful and historically successful conferences in the sport, is reportedly making plans to cancel its season.
Trump later tweeted “Play College Football!” after saying that, “The student-athletes have been working too hard for their season to be cancelled.”
Shortly after the Big Ten news broke, U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), who is from a state with a Big Ten team, said in a widely-shared tweet that, “America needs college football,” joining other well-known Republicans showing support for the season to go on.
Earlier on Monday, U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE), who is also from a state with a team in a Big Ten, sent a letter to leadership at Big Ten universities, pleading with them to move forward with the season, arguing, without evidence, for his cause that “the structure and discipline of football programs is likely very safer than what the lived experience of 18- to 22-year-old will be if there isn’t a season.”
There’s serious concern the Big Ten’s decision will have a domino effect across college football, and leadership in the Southeastern Conference, widely regarded as the strongest conference in college football, are now reportedly planning to meet Monday afternoon to discuss the future of the season.
Top Florida Republicans, namely Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, have expressed support for college football being played in the fall; the University of Florida plays in the SEC.
CRITICAL QUOTE
“Here’s the reality: Many of you think that football is safer than no football, but you also know that you will be blamed if there is football, whereas you can duck blame if you cancel football,” Sasse wrote in his letter to Big Ten presidents and chancellors.
KEY BACKGROUND
Republicans pushing for college football to go on in the fall might be as much about politics as it is about wanting to see their favorite teams take the field. According to an analysis by FiveThirtyEight, college football had a greater interest level in markets President Donald Trump fared well in during the 2016 election compared to other sports, like the MLB, NFL and NASCAR.
SURPRISING FACT
Some top college football players, including Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, want the season to go on, and have sent out tweets with the hashtag #WeWantToPlay. Trump shared Lawrence’s message Monday.
TANGENT
College football is especially popular in the South, and some top officials had used the concern about losing a season to motivate residents to follow public health guidelines. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) said “I want to see college football this fall” after he issued a statewide mask-wearing mandate last week. In Louisiana, Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) is known for his support for the LSU Tigers football team and his friendship with its head coach, Ed Orgeron. Edwards had said that he hoped to be in Tiger Stadium “yelling for the Tigers,” but he’s been unable to say recently what a game day this fall would look like, as Louisiana has dealt with a coronavirus uptick.
WHAT WE DON’T KNOW
If there is a season, it’s not clear how many fans, if any, would be allowed into stadiums to watch games in person.
FURTHER READING
Big Ten And Pac-12 Will Cancel Football Seasons On Tuesday: Reports (Forbes)
Sources: SEC Presidents Set for Impromptu Monday Meeting (Sports Illustrated)
How Every NFL Team’s Fans Lean Politically (FiveThirtyEight)
