Speaking a month-and-a-half ago, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith expressed pessimism about the possibility of college football games going ahead without any fans in the stands.
Any football, he said at the time, would be better than no football in 2020. But how, he wondered aloud on a teleconference last month, would it be safe enough for the players on the field this fall if it’s not safe enough for spectators to attend games?
“It seems inconsistent to me that we could say it’s unsafe for the fans to be in the stands but it’s safe for the players, to be in that gathering environment,” Smith said in April.