Notre Dame athletic director: 'Less likely' college football starts on time

The pessimism sweeping through the college football community this week is undeniable.

Less than 24 hours after the Ivy League informed member schools that college football and all other fall sports are postponed through at least the end of the year, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and ESPN's Paul Finebaum both poured cold water on hopes that football will be played this fall amid the worsening coronavirus pandemic.

The Big Ten then announced a conference-only schedule for fall sports, which led to Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith admitting he's "very concerned" about the state of football and other fall competitions.

Add Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick to the list of skeptics.
Swarbrick spoke with ESPN's Heather Dinich on Thursday and provided a gloomy forecast for fall football:

"It has grown more pessimistic over the past two weeks, but I'm not to a point to say we shouldn't continue to plan for the potential to open on time," Swarbrick said. "I just think it's less likely. We have to shift our allocations a little bit — a little more time on planning the alternatives, and a little less time on planning routine go-forward."

While Notre Dame claimed zero positive coronavirus results among more than 100 football players in its latest round of testing, Ohio State and North Carolina are two of a handful of universities that have experienced worrisome virus outbreaks during preparations for the season. 

It's believed Notre Dame will open the season with a road game versus Navy played over Labor Day weekend, although that date is not yet confirmed since the contest was originally scheduled to occur in Dublin, Ireland, on Aug. 29.