Legendary sports broadcaster and CNN contributor Bob Costas railed against forcing college football players participate in a fall season during the Covid-19 pandemic, calling the circumstances “unconscionable.”

His comments on Thursday night came as several major conferences, including the Atlantic Coast Conference and Southeastern Conference, announced their league’s football schedules with tentative starting dates beginning as soon as late September.

“Think of the size of football rosters, and think of the nature of the sport, with contact on every play,” Costas said on CNN’s Facts & Fears: Coronavirus Town Hall with Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta. “And then, think about college football. More and more, that seems less and less likely. It may be unlikely that the NFL can get in a full season. But the idea of playing college football under these circumstances, players not compensated, no union to protect them. That’s unconscionable.”

Outside of football, Costas was more open to the idea of some college sports returning, he said.

“Every sport differs,” Costas continued. “You can play tennis. You can play golf. There’s certain things you can do, more or less, safely … Whatever the flaws may be, whatever the hypocrisies may be, surrounding big-time college sports, it’s those two sports that pay for tennis and lacrosse and crew and all the rest. So that takes a hit, as well.”

Several professional leagues have started their seasons with mixed results. Major League Baseball is a week into its season, but has postponed almost a dozen games amid several outbreaks within teams, most notably more than a dozen players on the Miami Marlins who have tested positive for Covid-19. The NBA has had success with its Orlando bubble so far, and the NHL, which hasn’t yet restarted its 2019–20 season, hasn’t had a player test positive for the coronavirus since July 18.

Most colleges have limited their schedules to only playing teams within their conference in the fall, but travel for certain matchups would still require aircraft. With college students nearing their return to school, some schools have opted away from collegiate seasons. Others are still unsure when their sports will begin again.

from Mediaite https://ift.tt/30cA2Q9