GAINESVILLE, Fla. _ The SEC has canceled all competitions and championships for the remainder of the 2019-20 season due to coronavirus uncertainty, but spring football practices have not yet been ruled out.
League commissioner Greg Sankey said Wednesday he is not "going to be overly optimistic" spring football will take place, especially in light of Center for Disease Control guidelines on limiting gatherings to fewer than 50 people during the next two months.
"Certainly difficult to conduct football practice with that limitation," Sankey said. "We haven't fully closed that opportunity. But I think, practically, that window's pretty narrow."
Sankey is, however, more sure the SEC will play football in the fall despite the grim daily forecasts about how long Americans will need to limit contact amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"That's my focus," he said. "I have optimism. We have taken measures, as have our colleague conferences at this time."
The SEC already has canceled spring football games and NFL Pro Days on campuses league-wide. All athletic activities are on hold until at least April 15.
Football teams theoretically could squeeze in some practices at some point. If not, Sankey suggested a time frame in the summer for practice or an extended preseason camp as ways to make up for lost time.
"I'm confident if we're not able to practice this spring, I'm confident we'll be seeking to make sure our teams are adequately prepared entering this season," Sankey said. "Elements of that are going to be guided by the public health realities in front of us."
Beyond the spring, Sankey said he is taking a "half-glass full" approach to other activities related to the league's signature sport.
Sankey said he hopes SEC Media Days will go on as planned July 13-16 in Atlanta. Roughly six weeks later football and other fall sports would begin play.
UF is scheduled to open the 2020 season Sept. 5 in the Swamp against Eastern Washington.
"My hope is that we can return to our normal organized activities, experiences, and be part of that celebration around soccer, volleyball, cross country, and football in the fall," Sankey said. "But we'll have to see."
Sankey said and the conference's athletic directors currently are staging a daily conference call to navigate the impact of the pandemic.
The commissioner said he will look beyond the league office and 14 member schools to ultimately decide the next steps.
"I'm looking to the health experts to guide us. Period," he said. "I'm also interested in what other sport organizations do right now."
