ACC commissioner: College football without students on campus a 'foreign thought'

Earlier this week, ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum likened NCAA president Mark Emmert to Bozo the Clown after Emmert suggested there could be no football, or other college sports, at universities if students can't safely return to campuses for fall terms amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

ACC commissioner John Swofford seemed to back Emmert during a Thursday video teleconference.

According to Luke DeCock of North Carolina's The News & Observer, Swofford spoke about proposals regarding schools fielding football squads and programs without students on campuses. 

"It’s another unanswered question right now," Swofford said. "Most people I talk to in college athletics and higher education I think agree that that’s a foreign thought to most of us."

While Swofford claimed he's anticipating member schools will play football at some point, he also admitted that a lot "can happen between now and (the fall)." 

The report also said Swofford suggested four scenarios for NCAA fall sports: A standard football season, one shortened or otherwise amended because of the virus outbreak, basketball starting on time regardless of football, and zero sports for the foreseeable future. 

For a piece published on Wednesday, Toronto Blue Jays and QuestCap medical advisor Glenn Copeland told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that Major League Baseball is fearful that a second coronavirus wave could lead to fall shutdowns that would shutter play and sports around the country. 

Such a future virus outbreak would, unquestionably, affect football and other college sports.