Now, medical advisory boards have deemed it OK for the SEC and others to play. But is it responsible? All fall, football teams will do their best to protect their players from catching the coronavirus. But we saw it with the St. Louis Cardinals — even though the team took precautions, the virus slipped into their world, and before they could realize it, 18 players and staffers tested positive. Some even went to the hospital. So on these college campuses, some that are doubling as coronavirus hots pots, there is an increased likelihood a player will be infected during the week and then spread the disease on Saturday, right there on national TV. Not ideal. But again, it is money vs. risk — and college football sure generates a lot of money.

Unlike any other sport, college football is the most apt microcosm for America in 2020. You’ve got some parts of the country operating regularly, while other parts taking way more precautions. Prevailing attitudes vary depending on the region. Politics are playing — even the president of the United States tried to get the Big Ten to kick off this fall — and big money is swaying. And in the end, just like America in 2020, you’ll have an imperfect system that only satisfies some.

This is all tough to grapple with, because we do love our college football. It has such a special spot in our lives, in our families, in our pasts. Watching the games will be a nice escape. That said, it’s hard to get extremely excited about the sport if all the conferences aren’t playing. It’s hard to get fired up for games when you can’t fire up grills at pregame tailgates. Stadium crowds will look like spring games. And in the stands, students will be asked to wear masks and be socially distant, while they watch fellow students smash into students from another school, over and over and over. On the field, you’ll seldom see “six feet apart” except for the ball and the first-down marker on a third-and-2.