College sports are likely to look completely different when and if schools and seasons resume in the fall.
With each state making different decisions about reopening, teams are concerned about keeping collegiate athletics fair if teams have to start their seasons at different times.
Jack Swarbrick is the Athletic Director at the University of Notre Dame.
He says, “You’re still going to have circumstances where schools aren’t open, and others are. Or states haven’t reopened and some have. I think the bigger challenge for us is the consequence that will have on competing in the fall.”
Swarbrick says Notre Dame is looking to the NCAA to figure out how to regulate and keep competitions and records as fair as possible.
He says the university is also still looking at what practices, tailgating, facilities and game day traditions might look like.
“When we look at keeping our students safe and what their experience will be, we’re focused on all our students. So if our football team can play, our other students should be able to be in the stadium and watch them play,” Swarbrick says.
Swarbrick says other decisions, including if late summer sports day camps can happen and if the Notre Dame-Navy game in Dublin in August can go forward, are still being made.