It took one whole week for North Carolina to switch to all-virtual classes as COVID-19 cases spiked on campus. Despite this development, the Tar Heels football team will proceed towards a season this fall. 

In a statement released Monday evening, North Carolina said that all athletes will continue to attend online classes and may choose to stay at their respective residences. However, the school added, the university is still “expecting to play this fall.” The statement comes after the university reported 135 new COVID-19 cases at a positive rate of 13.6% and four clusters at various residence halls and a fraternity house. 

The ACC plans to begin its modified, 10-game conference schedule on Sept. 12 with one additional nonconference game allowed for each member. 

Over the past week, several pictures at college campuses across the country have gone viral showing large crowds of people without masks, standing in close proximity of one another. Such gatherings drew the particular ire of Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne, who opined that anyone who wanted college football should adhere to best practices, including wearing masks and socially distancing, to help stop the spread of COVID-19. 

North Carolina’s swift decision might indicate that playing football at all is a bad idea, but in practice, athletes are probably better off being as isolated as possible from the general public. Without a bubble, of which there is no such thing for college athletics, the best chance for college football to be played safely is if universities move to virtual instruction for the fall and beyond. Even then, however, there are no guarantees. 

Of course, that would require acknowledging that college football players aren’t just regular students as the NCAA and its members like to parade, though UNC’s willingness to move forward with a season certainly implies as much.