HUNTSVILLE, Texas — The coronavirus pandemic had already delayed Sam Houston State University’s 2020 football season until the spring semester in 2021 when, over the winter, the college’s athletic leaders met to discuss a new conundrum.
With spring and fall seasons coming up, the Bearkats were poised to begin a run of up to 24 games in 2021, eight more than they had ever contested in a calendar year. As the officials met in the athletic director’s office, they considered two choices: add another September game and earn the football program an important payout of about $500,000, or pass up the opportunity and settle for a shorter regular season than almost everyone else.