When the nation went into quarantine in April, one of the many highly discussed topics was sports. Sitting at home, many people were bored with not much to do, and watching live sports is a great way to pass the time. Obviously, amidst a worldwide COVID outbreak, sports officials and commissioners had no other choice but to postpone many live sporting events due to the health risks posed by the Coronavirus. Of course, we all missed live sports during our time stuck at home, but thankfully, things are just now starting to return to our new normal.
Over the summer, the NBA concluded its hiatus and resumed the 2019-20 season in a very smart, safe, and logistical setup: “The NBA Bubble.” In short, 22 qualifying NBA teams were all quarantined in Orlando’s Disney World, with facilities and courts built to accommodate full games, practices, and workouts. The season ran quite smoothly, minus a few hiccups, and conference finals have already begun. Unfortunately, not every sports league can make such considerate accommodations to continue play.
In August, the Big Ten Conference (a collection of D1 colleges) postponed all of their fall sports due to COVID until further notice. Well, "further notice" came yesterday, as the Big Ten’s “Return to Competition Task Force” met to discuss a plan for this year’s college football season. They reached a unanimous decision to resume competition on the weekend of Oct. 24th, with each team playing 8 games in 8 weeks, just in time for the championship game on December 19th. The Big Ten will mandate daily rapid tests on all 14 campuses, as well as no fan attendance at games. Student-athletes will be tested before each practice and game, but will not be isolated or restricted off the field.
Do these precautions seem sufficient to protect college communities and their athletes from spreading COVID-19? I think the NBA bubble did the best and most efficient job to resume play while ensuring the safety of its players, but I can’t say the same for the Big 10. Handling athletes that live on a college campus is a whole different, more risky ball game. Not only are these athletes at high risk of contracting COVID from each other, but they are also putting their student body at risk. In addition, most of these D1 athletes have their whole career ahead of them, and one small bout of COVID might do permanent damage to their cardiovascular system, which could end their career for good. Could more precautions be made to limit the spread of COVID? Do you think this new season is going to go well for the Big Ten?
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