‘The world is going to need football’: Lincoln Riley keeps an open mind about 2020 season

Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley’s normal days include virtual personnel conferences, players conferences, hiring and movie research study.

That is not so much various than the majority of social-distancing Americans throughout the continued spread of COVID-19 throughout the United States.

“Every waking hour is in front of a screen,” Riley stated on a teleconference Tuesday. “It’s the new normal. . A lot of times you take a step back and wonder if it’s real. In a lot of ways, it feels like we’re living in a movie.”

Regardless Of that, Riley is preserving a forward-thinking and open- minded method about when and how the 2020 college football season will be played. On March 31, 6 months prior to the first week of the season, that is the very best script in the meantime.

“I feel like by September the world is going to need football,” Riley stated. “A lot of that will be determined by our country’s response to this.”

MORE: 10 concerns that stay unanswered without spring football

There are more than 180,000 reported cases of COVID-19 in the United States since Tuesday afternoon, which has actually led to speculation about whether college football will be played in2020 That situation acquired traction after ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit’s remarks that he would be “shocked” if college football is played this year. Riley, who is 36 -6 and has actually led the Sooners to 3 straight College Football Playoff looks, is not believing in those terms.

“I haven’t considered it just because that’s so far out in front that I don’t know that it will do me or us any good,” Riley stated. “There are still so many unknowns, but we do have a plan if it does happen.”

Riley understands the coaching personnel ought to have 20 hours a week with his players and the restrictions to the virtual footballworld He still is taking a look at ahead– and June 1 is a time frame that might be informing.

Riley stated there are a couple of players still in Norman, Okla., however the first action is getting players back on school securely.

“The next realistic time most people are going to be looking at are the summer period and whether or not you have camps,” Riley stated. “Whether or not you are able to have prospects on campus. That’s going to be the next realistic possibility. What we do the rest of the summer will probably hinge on how that plays out.”

MORE: Kirk Herbstreit will be ‘stunned’ if NFL, college football occur in 2020

Riley is versatile on a possible start date for the season and whether fans will be enabled to remain in participation. He was asked what it would be like to play Texas in the Cotton Bowl withoutfans

“It would be very, very unique,” Riley stated. “If that what it comes to do for games to still be able to be played and guys to still be able to play and then for our fans to connect and be a part of it virtually, that may be where we could end it.”

Riley likewise was open to a later start date, which would be much easier than logistically than a summertimeseason How much preparation would a team need in order to be all set to play a routine-season game?

“We could have 15 to 20 practices and be ready to go play, without a doubt,” Riley stated.

Would that football suffice? Riley stated it would look like spring football or early fall camp to the coaches, however the majority of fans would still enjoy theexperience

In that regard, Riley is. The return of football would indicate the danger of COVID-19 has actually been reduced on some level. In that regard, Riley is ready to take all the essential safety measures and change the time frame as required.

By September, that may be what every requirements. Riley is ready to wait longer, too.

“I don’t know that we can put on a limit,” Riley stated. “Football, just purely the game, can be played anytime, anywhere. I think we all have to be open-minded about it.”

Follow AsumeTech on

More From Category

More Stories Today

Leave a Reply