Hopefully, optics won’t be in the picture this time.

Remember when coronavirus hit our country last March and the sports world stopped after one NBA player tested positive and the league closed down?

It was the first domino to fall, as one college basketball tournament after another stopped in the middle when the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and Pac 12 all took their balls and went home.

The Big Sky Conference was in Boise for its tournament. The entire state of Idaho did not have a single positive case of the virus. But despite it being perfectly safe to continue, the Big Sky pulled the plug.

Why? They said it didn’t look good. Optics.

I hope it doesn’t happen that way with college football, that the ACC, Big 12 and SEC have to drop games or decide not to play altogether because the Big Ten and Pac-12 did so. Or due to squabbling within the leagues. At this point, it could be for any reason, with players at certain schools starting to flex their power muscles.

The problem with the ACC is that the football programs are not being consistent with the safety protocols set out by the conference, which says each team must test its players at least once a week.

That is what Carolina is doing, according to head coach Mack Brown. Right now, the Tar Heels are all getting tested on Monday. Once the season starts, the tests will be on Tuesday or Wednesday. Brown said test results are available within 24 hours. Any positives will be benched for the upcoming games and quarantined until they are no longer contagious.

Syracuse, the Tar Heels’ opening opponent on September 12th, is the only school in the league testing three times a week because some Orange players demanded that or they would not practice. Thus, they may not think they are safe enough to come to Chapel Hill.

That is something the ACC needs to get straight. If it looks bad between any of the schools, optics could end up canceling games or the entire conference season.

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