Spring Football Practice A Likely COVID-19 Victim - 247Sports

Barely over an hour before Alabama’s football team was scheduled to begin 2020 spring practice Friday came the word:

“Alabama has suspended spring football practice until further notice, including all football media-related activities.”

These are frightful times and so the decision was not unexpected. But one couldn’t help but wonder what alternatives Alabama Coach Nick Saban might have considered before making the decision. As it turns out, the Southeastern Conference – which had earlier left decisions to practice up to the institutions – has now prohibited all athletics activity through April 15 as the nation and the world deal with the ramifications of COVID-19, the coronavirus.

That possibly – maybe probably -- eliminates any chance for spring football practice. Spring break which started this weekend has already been extended by an additional week. Classes for the spring semester at The University end April 24 with final examinations beginning April 27.

It can't be ruled out that those dates will be adjusted. As we have seen over the past few days, decisions are fast-moving in this period of a pandemic.

Saban’s spring football modus operandi has been a source of mild curiousity, the idea of having one day of practice just before spring break and then resuming the 15 allotted days of football following the break. 

• One popular theory: He wants to give them an idea of what it’s going to be like when they get back and therefore motivate them to stay in shape.

• Another: He wants to get something on videotape so his coaches can be kept busy during the time off.

• Yet another: He doesn’t want his players missing the last few days of classes, as will many of their non-athlete classmates getting a head start on the break.

• And another: He doesn’t want his players in cars joining the traffic rush to get out of Tuscaloosa.

Alabama Football Coach Nick Saban (Photo: Stuart McNair, 247Sports)

 If and when there is a resumption of spring football practice, will there be an A-Day Game? It has become more and more popular for football fans to dismiss the spring football games as “just a football practice.” That’s not entirely true, but it also is not a game against another team.

Even as attendance at real college football games is on the decline, a game against Georgia State in Bryant-Denny Stadium will draw several times the number who can watch a Crimson-White Game at no admission charge.

This year the A-Day Game was scheduled for April 18. Again, “if and when,” it will not be on that day.

Even before the coronavirus outbreak, there were going to be opposing factors at work for this year’s game.

On the one side was the likely interest in a quarterback battle, junior Mac Jones – the starter in games last season when Tua Tagovailoa was injured – vs. true freshman and early enrollee Bryce Young – considered the No. 1 prospect in the nation.

On the other side was diminished capacity, 30-35,000, in Bryant-Denny Stadium, where extensive renovations are underway.

Considering the emphasis on avoiding crowds and close contact with others, would the game be played in an empty stadium, or even “just like another practice” on one of the practice fields?

It seems very unlikely that on April 15, or some other date, things will return to normal, including spring football practice. All would agree that is not the most important issue in the world today, but if it wasn’t important in its own niche, they wouldn’t do it.

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Spring Football Practice A Likely COVID-19 Victim - 247Sports
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