>>> THE PLANNED RETURN OF THE
NBA, NHL AND MAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALL HAS GIVEN SPORTS FANS
SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO.
IN MANY PARTS OF THE COUNTRY,
IT'S COLLEGE FOOTBALL THEY WANT.
LSU AND CLEMSON, THE POWERHOUSE
PROGRAMS THAT MET IN LAST
SEASON'S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
GAME, BOTH HAVE BEEN HIT BY
RECENT OUTBREAKS OF CORONAVIRUS.
THEY CERTAINLY ARE NOT THE ONLY
ONES.
SO WILL COLLEGE FOOTBALL, A BIG
MONEY, BIG CONTACT SPORT THAT
COUNTS ON PACKED STADIUMS, FIND
A WAY TO PLAY IN THE MIDDLE OF A
PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS?
NBC'S AARON McLAUGHLIN HAS OUR
SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT.
>> Reporter: BETWEEN THE
TACKLES, SACKS AND TOUCHDOWNS,
THERE'S NO SOCIAL DISTANCING IN
FOOTBALL.
BEFORE THE COLLEGE SEASON HAS
EVEN BEGUN, THERE HAVE BEEN
CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAKS AT
VOLUNTARY WORKOUTS.
DESPITE 37 CONFIRMED CASES AT
CLEMSON, THE SCHOOL SAYS
VOLUNTARY WORKOUTS WILL PUSH
FORWARD.
MANY SCHOOLS DECLINED TO RELEASE
EXACT NUMBERS DESPITE REPORTS OF
OUTBREAKS AT SCHOOLS INCLUDING
ALABAMA, TEXAS A&M AND DEFENDING
NATIONAL CHAMPS LSU, WHERE AT
LEAST 30 OUT OF 115 PLAYERS HAVE
CONTRACTED THE VIRUS ACCORDING
TO "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED."
KANSAS STATE, A MASSIVE OUTBREAK
HAS SUSPENDED HIS PROGRAM.
HE IS HOPEFUL THE SEASON WILL
START ON TIME.
>> I'M NOT CONFIDENT WHETHER WE
WILL GET THROUGH A 12-GAME
SEASON.
>> Reporter: 14 KANSAS STATE
FOOTBALL PLAYERS TESTED
POSITIVE.
60 PLAYERS HAVE BEEN
QUARANTINED, INCLUDING A NUMBER
OF PRESUMPTIVE POSITIVES.
THE PLAYERS INITIALLY TESTED
NEGATIVE.
HE CLAIMS THEY CAUGHT IT THROUGH
FOOTBALL.
DO YOU THINK KANSAS STATE IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE 14 POSITIVE
COVID-19 TESTS?
>> I DON'T THINK WE ARE
RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE THAT DIDN'T
HAPPEN IN OUR FACILITY.
THOSE KIDS, WE TESTED THEM.
WE TOLD THEM WHAT TO DO.
WE TOLD THEM SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
THEY NEEDED TO TAKE PLACE.
>> THIS WAS A FORESEEABLE
CIRCUMSTANCE.
YOU COULD FORESEE THESE STUDENTS
GOING OUT TO BARS.
YOU STILL NEED TO OWN THAT.
THAT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.
>> Reporter: MEDICAL EXPERTS
QUESTION WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE
A SEASON AT ALL.
UCLA PLAYERS SAY THEY ARE CAUGHT
IN THE MIDDLE.
>> WE ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE TO
PUT OUR BODIES ON THE LINE.
>> Reporter: THIS QUARTERBACK IS
ONE OF 30 UCLA PLAYERS TO SIGN A
LETTER DEMANDING MORE SAFETY
MEASURES, INCLUDING AT BUILT TO
M
MAKE HEALTH DECISIONS WITHOUT
HEALTH CONSEQUENCE.
>> A LOT OF GUYS WILL WANT TO
PLAY.
>> Reporter: UCLA IMPLEMENTED
REQUESTS IN THE LETTER.
>> THE UNFORTUNATE PART ABOUT
COLLEGE SPORTS IS THERE IS NO
SUCH THING AS VOLUNTARY.
IF YOUR COACH TELLS YOU TO DO
SOMETHING, YOU DO THAT.
>> Reporter: SOME SCHOOLS
REQUIRE STUDENTS TO SIGN PLEDGES
ACCEPTING THE RISK OF EXPOSURE
TO COVID-19.
A SENATE HEARING FOCUSED ON NCAA
STUDENT RIGHTS.
PLAYERS NEED MORE PROTECTION.
>> DO THEY PLAN TO ISSUE
GUIDELINES TO ALL PARTICIPATING
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES?
>> THERE IS UNDER DISCUSSION
ACTIVELY ON A DAILY BASIS.
>> Reporter: WITH NO GUIDELINES
IN PLACE, OKLAHOMA'S COACH SAYS
HE WANTS TO SEE MORE TESTING.
>> I WOULDN'T PUT MY PLAYERS ON
THE FIELD WITHOUT THAT.
I DON'T THINK ANY COACH WOULD.
>> Reporter: YOU EXPECT THE NCAA
TO PUT THAT INTO PLACE?
>> I HOPE THEY DO.
I HOPE THEY DON'T LEAVE IT UP TO
INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS.
>> Reporter: HE WAS ONE OF FEW
COACHES PUSHING BACK ON EARLY
VOLUNTARY WORKOUTS, WHICH BEGAN
THIS WEEK.
WHY IS IT WORTH THE RISK TO HAVE
A FOOTBALL SEASON IN THE MIDDLE
OF A PANDEMIC?
>> I DON'T KNOW THAT IT IS WORTH
IT YET.
IT COMES TO THE POINT WHERE I
HAVE A RISK OF PLAYERS' HEALTH,
STAFF MEMBERS' HEALTH, ANYTHING
LIKE THAT VERSUS GO PLAY A
FOOTBALL GAME, THAT'S AN EASY
DECISION.
>> Reporter: WITH SO MUCH ON THE
LINE, SOME ARE WONDERING IF THE
GAME IS WORTH THE GAMBLE.
>> LET'S HOPE WE CAN GET
EVERYONE ON THE FIELD SAFELY AND
PLAY THOSE GAMES.
VANDERBILT OPENS WITH MERCER T