DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - It's been two months since COVID-19 shut down all sports, including collegiate athletics. While not the most important part of higher education, there's little question that it's the most visible aspect of a university.
College sports fans have been left to wonder: How long will sports be gone? And, is it possible college football doesn't return in September?
But for TCU Athletic Director Jeremiah Donati, there's hope on the horizon when he envisions the fall semester.
"I think you've got to give people hope," says Donati. "People need it. This has been a brutally difficult time for countless people not only in our communities but around the world."
Earlier this week, the president of West Virginia University (another Big 12 school) guaranteed football would be played in the fall. In fact, Dr. E. Gordon Gee told WOWK-TV that he believed they would play football in the fall "even if I have to suit up."
Donati stopped short of a guarantee but did express optimism.
"I'm very confident that we can play football this fall, and sports," Donati says. "But there's a lot that needs to happen before then. I think it would probably be premature to make any type of guarantee."
He says football season could look different, but the Big 12 will do everything possible to get on the field because it's such a big financial factor for all the league's schools.