The NBA had the easiest path of the major team sports. It only brought in 22 of its 30 teams — that was further reduced to 16 when the playoffs began — and created a bubble in Orlando that has heavy security and daily testing. There were two cases of players testing positive for COVID upon their arrival in late July, but zero cases since the 1,400 players and staffers stepped inside the bubble.

The NHL used two bubble cities — Toronto and Edmonton — and brought back 24 of its 31 teams for a qualifying round and the playoffs, achieving similar success. Unlike the NBA, the NHL conducted training camps in the teams’ home cities and had two positive tests. However, it hasn’t had another one since the teams entered the two bubbles a month ago.

The NFL has had unexpected success in limiting the virus in its locker rooms. On-field workouts in camps started more than a week ago and, through Thursday, there were only five players left on the league’s reserve/COVID-19 list. The players had to push the league for daily testing in the first two weeks, but it has worked so effectively that daily testing has been extended to Sept. 5 and could eventually go beyond that.

From the start, college football figured to be the hardest sport to play this fall, simply because it has so many moving parts. Unlike professional athletes, who are paid big bucks and don’t have courses to worry about, college players are part of a much larger community. They live in dorms and apartments with their fellow students. They interact with strangers in classrooms, cafeterias and, yes, bars.