It’s a question I’m sure we’ve all had on our minds for months now, one that we’ve sort of tip-toed around here at Rock M Nation. We’re hoping that avoiding the topic altogether may prevent some bad juju from getting in the air... along with other things!

But it’s looking more and more like we’re going to have to face the inevitable, possibly even this week — there may be no college football in 2020.

The Big 10’s conference-only-schedule announcement was the first big domino to fall last week, with many speculating what the landscape could look like in a pandemic-ridden America. However, it didn’t take long for Greg Sankey to come forward and say he’s very concerned that the season may be beyond saving at this point.

“But the direct reality is not good and the notion that we’ve politicized medical guidance of distancing, and breathing masks, and hand sanitization, ventilation of being outside, being careful where you are in buildings. There’s some very clear advice about … you can’t mitigate and eliminate every risk, but how do you minimize the risk? ... We are running out of time to correct and get things right, and as a society we owe it to each other to be as healthy as we can be.”

Sankey may just be posturing here. After all, what looks better than a commissioner openly expressing doubt that a season will take place only to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat? At least, that may have been a realistic thought before another domino fell on Sunday.

JUCOs don’t have that much of an impact on the college football season directly, but it’s hard to miss the subtext here — that at least one governing body of college sports doesn’t see a way to effectively keep its players safe in the coming months. Even if the stakes are higher at the NCAA level, the move certainly sets a precedent. How far will schools and associations like the NCAA (which don’t do nearly enough to protect their players in the first place) go when it comes to their bottom lines vs. the health of the people who do the work on the field?

It’s impossible to say at this point. But with Sankey’s comments about more meetings this week and time running out before August camps, it feels like we won’t have to wait long before someone crosses the Rubicon.

Yesterday at Rock M

• Melvin Booker reflects on Mizzou’s most memorable season

More Links:

• At PowerMizzou, Sean Williams wrote up a recruitment analysis on Mizzou’s latest commit for subscribers, while Gabe DeArmond opined on what an SEC-only schedule would look like for the Tigers.
• Mizzou Hoops was busy on the recruiting circuit on Sunday, sending out offers to two new high school ballers.

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