What happens when the Third Saturday in October is played in April? An Army-Navy Game over Easter weekend? A full lineup of bowl games in May?
We do not yet know if the upcoming college football season is going to be able to kick off as currently scheduled or not. As each day passes by, the question continues to be discussed as the powers that be are working hard to figure out if the season can go on as planned or what to do if it cannot. There is no shortage of options being discussed, whether as serious options or just spitballing to see what ideas can possibly stick.
One option that has apparently been discussed to some degree has been moving the upcoming season to the spring. According to Brett McMurphy of Stadium, one anonymous Group of 5 president has had that conversation with another university president.
A Group of 5 president recently suggested to another G5 president they should go ahead & move the 2020 college football season to spring, source told @Stadium. Obviously, it’s too early for that, but these are among options presidents & ADs are considering if season is delayed
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) April 1, 2020
McMurphy is right. It is too early to start thinking that a full college football season could be transplanted to the spring, and how much of a logistical issue that may be. But it certainly does not hurt to have any idea being discussed now so that any alternative options can be executed cleanly if needed.
Schools will do just about anything it can to get a college football season on the field, no matter when it has to be played. That is because the financial impact of losing a college football season would be a disaster. The absence of a football season could be even more of a blow to Group of Five conferences and their members as they do not get the typical media rights revenue schools from the power conferences receive. The NCAA revenue distribution has already taken a massive hit with the loss of the men’s basketball tournament, making the need for football revenue even more vital to some schools.
Some schools are already canceling their summer sessions, which is yet another ominous sign that football is facing some scheduling concerns. Of course, in the grand scheme of things, there are more pressing issues to focus on combating before any thought of football can be addressed.