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It remains unclear if the 2020 college football season will start on time, and the television networks are postponing any decisions due in the coming week. June 1st has been a regular deadline for determining game times for the early season schedule. However, the various conferences and their television partners at CBS Sports, ESPN, and FOX Sports released a statement in which they have collectively agreed to extend the timeline for those decisions.
Inbox statement from the Football Bowl Subdivision Conferences, CBS Sports, ESPN, Fox Sports: "Collectively, the conferences and TV networks have agreed to an extension for determining college football’s early season game times beyond the standard June 1 deadline."
— John Ourand (@Ourand_SBJ) May 26, 2020
Statement, part 2: "These kickoff times and network designations will be announced at a later date as we all continue to prepare for the college football season."
— John Ourand (@Ourand_SBJ) May 26, 2020
Conferences are allowing players to come back for so-called voluntary workouts beginning in June, but the fall football schedule remains uncertain. This year’s Week 0 schedule includes Navy vs. Notre Dame in Dublin, Ireland, Marshall at East Carolina, Cal at UNLV, and New Mexico State at UCLA, among others.
The Dublin matchup seems a decent bet to be relocated back to the United States, and that’s even assuming it is able to happen on the scheduled August 29th date. Conferences are allowing schools to bring players back in June, but the decision to start playing games is complicated by revenue. Teams make considerable sums from having fans at games, unlike the NFL with its mammoth national television deal. Some schools can get by with no fans, but many can’t, and that will factor in if stadiums are not allowed to have fans.