Marco Rubio and Arkansas AD Hunter Yurachek Call for College Football Season

If you went camping or something this weekend and are just now returning to civilization, this college football season is hanging by a thread. The Big Ten appears poised to cancel their season imminently. The Pac-12 could follow shortly thereafter, and then the SEC, Big 12 and ACC would be left with a decision on whether to join them or be on an island.

Sensing their season is vulnerable, Trevor Lawrence and a number of other players in college football began tweeting the #WeWanttoPlay hashtag.

This morning, Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek followed suit:

On behalf of the @RazorbackFB team (that includes my son) and each of @ArkRazorbacks student-athletes that I represent, serve, support, care for, fight for and love. #WeWantToPlay

— Hunter Yurachek (@HunterYurachek) August 10, 2020

Florida senator Marco Rubio also shared data about the results of positive tests in his state, and advocated for schools and sports not to close this Fall:

79,584 people between 15-24 tested positive in #Florida:
-0.95% of them were hospitalized
-0.026% of them died

Risk from being away from school & sports far greater than risk from #COVID19

Answer is to lower their risk of infection & protect their loved ones at high risk pic.twitter.com/L05nmrYg1J

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) August 10, 2020

Over the weekend, Joel Klatt made the rational case for continuing on with college football season. His most significant argument was that sending college athletes away from campus and back into their communities carries greater risk than if they remain in-season. Football players especially are under rigorous structure where they are tested frequently and treated and quarantined if they test positive. Away from this structure, it is presumable they would have much more regular interaction with at-risk family members or family friends.