UMass football head coach Walt Bell spelled out on Monday the two very different battles coaches are fighting amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“You’re fighting the battle of keeping your team as safe and clean as humanly possible and then you’re fighting the opponent at the end of the week,” Bell said.
For UMass, which reversed an earlier decision this week and now intends to play fall football, the Minutemen are fighting a third battle: finding opponents to play as an FBS independent.
Given the Minutemen's 1–11 record in the 2019 season, combined with the uncertainties from resuming gameplay during the pandemic, attempting to restart the football season as an independent will prove to be more than a challenge.