Is this the put-up-or-shut-up week for the 2020 season?

At the risk of sounding like we’re stretching things a bit... it feels like we’re coming to a point of no return in regards to NCAA football in 2020.

We learned last week that SEC presidents and administrators are scheduled to meet this Thursday to discuss the upcoming season. While many conferences have gone with conference-only schedules, the SEC has remained steadfast in its commitment to a full, normal-ish 2020 season. And while anyone who’s hoping for some sense of normalcy is rooting for that scenario, it still feels like a pipe dream.

So what could happen later this week? That’s a question we’ll be addressing throughout the week here at Rock M (so stick around!). But we’ve already seen some examples of how things could be handled. We’ve seen some players at schools like UCLA speak up about their concerns over how coaches are handling things. On the other side of the spectrum, we’ve seen schools like Michigan State, which is currently quarantining the entire team after two positive tests amongst the staff. This is certainly the safest way to approach such a situation, but is it all that conducive to a normal season? Of course, there could be more delays on the way as well, as conferences try to sort out the best way to minimize risk.

The strategy of Push Push and Hope was first adopted by the Pac-12 and Big Ten, which entered conference-only scheduling agreements earlier this month and are expected to start their seasons later in September.

The strategy is expected to be adopted in some form by the SEC, ACC and Big 12 in the upcoming weeks, as those leagues are in the process of formulating the best ways to forge ahead.

The NCAA Board of Governors got into the Push Push and Hope conga line on Friday afternoon, tabling a decision on postponing fall championships until its next meeting on Aug. 4.

Apologies if none of this stuff is new or fresh (the news was pretty slow on Sunday). But as we round into the final weeks of July, we’re quickly reaching a point where a decision needs to be made about the impending season. Now more than ever, it feels like some sort of football is going to be played? Will it be in the fall or spring? Will there be non-conference games or no? Postseason? Testing procedures? Forfeiting games? It’s all up in the air. And if you want to best prepare yourself for a week when decision-makers are coming together to... well, make decisions, you should probably put yourself in that mindset: Anything’s possible, gang. Let’s just hope when we get to other side it looks as familiar as possible.

Yesterday at Rock M

• With Cuonzo Martin, recruiting is always a moving target

More Links:

• Dave Matter wrote about Nick Bolton’s rising (risen?) star as he emerges (has emerged?) as the new face of Mizzou’s defense.
• At PowerMizzou, Gabe DeArmond noted how little we know about Mizzou as fall camp inches closer. Subscribers can also read a story on Mizzou’s pursuit of a 2022 4-star QB.
• Tough break for our guy Emanuel Hall, who was waived by the Washington Football Team after battling injuries through the first year of his NFL career.

Here’s hoping Hall can get healthy and grab a spot with another team soon.

• ICYMI: Marcell Frazier is moving on to the next phase of his career following short stints in the NFL and XFL — JUCO coaching.
• Over the weekend, the Columbia Tribune dug deeper into Eli Drinkwitz’s time at North Carolina State to get a better sense of who he is as a coach. It’s a good refresher as we head into his first campaign at the helm of the program.
• If you’re looking to sign up for ESPN+, Rock M Nation now has an affiliate link: click Here for ESPN+ Now! (** RockMNation has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though RockMNation may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.**)