The SEC has canceled spring sports this year due to coronavirus but there’s still a glimmer of hope in getting some football practice in over the coming weeks and months.
Fans buoyed by that potential shouldn’t be overly excited, however. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said that while there is a chance that a few schools get some snaps in, it’s going to be a long road to that potentially happening given the current battle with the COVID-19 outbreak.
“I’m not going to be overly optimistic,” said Sankey of spring football. “I think practically, that window is very narrow.”
The entire conference has halted all athletic activities until at least April 15. A day after that would be the earliest possible start date. Given health recommendations at various local or state levels, that may be a stretch to even reach that point.
Should spring football be lost completely this year, Sankey did at least hint at the possibility that those practices will be made up in part to make sure athletes are prepared for the season. This could take the form of an extended fall camp or perhaps a small window in the summer if things calm down.
If there was some positive news from Sankey’s remarks at least, it’s that such preparations for the fall season are at least moving ahead. This includes the conference going “full steam ahead” on plans to hold SEC Media Days in Atlanta in July -- though the commissioner noted that he said the same thing last week about the basketball tournament that was eventually canceled.
Such is life nowadays after the world was changed practically overnight last week, however. At least for those in the SEC, at least the door on playing some pigskin is not completely shut like it has been elsewhere.