By Evan Weiner |
The University of Georgia is scheduled to play the University of Alabama for the College Football Playoff National Championship in Indianapolis on January 10. That is the easy part of the championship contest, having two contestants. But getting to play the game might prove troublesome with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 infecting people on a very high level, including the two college teams’ personnel.
But college football is moving ahead with its money-making game, a game that makes money for everyone except the majority of the players who don’t have marketing deals who are putting their bodies on the line for a ring. Some players have the ability to make some money off of their faces and names. But despite the hundreds of millions of dollars that comes in from television and marketing partners along with those who buy high-cost luxury boxes and club seats, most players could pursue an education but not get a share of the money.
As far as the championship game, there seems to be some flexibility as to when the game will be played if there is a COVID-19 outbreak impacting Alabama or Georgia. The game could be played on January 10 or 11 or 12 or 13 or 14 but should both teams be unable to field teams, the 2021 title would be declared vacant.
The College Football Playoff management is going to leave it up to the two schools to make a decision on whether they have enough players healthy to take the field should the schools encounter a COVID-19 outbreak. Omicron took a toll on the college football bowl season with a number of games canceled and other bowl games featuring replacement teams because football programs had a COVID-19 breakout.
The College Football Playoff management team desperately wants the game played. They want the money.
This article was republished with permission from the original publisher, Evan Weiner.