The thrust behind Michigan State’s decision to welcome athletes back to campus June 14 is to ensure their safety through proper conditioning so they are physically prepared for the upcoming season.
But by bringing them together again, the athletic department runs the risk of exposing team members and staff to the coronavirus.
This is the irony MSU and universities across the country are confronting as they try to will back college sports — and in particular the sacred cow that is football — in the face of an invisible enemy that continues to vex.
“It’s sort of like you’re shadow-boxing with a pandemic,” said Michigan State athletic director Bill Beekman.