Alabama Football: NCAA takes action as Mark Emmert speaks

Consider the impact on the Alabama football season from latest NCAA actions

Alabama football fans agree with most other college football fans in opinions on the NCAA. The NCAA is viewed generally as a toothless, lumbering bureaucracy, resistant to change and too timid to act.

That may have slightly changed on Thursday morning. Through the words of NCAA President, Mark Emmert, the NCAA is being less timid than normal. On the NBC Today Show, Emmert announced a new testing protocol that is mandatory rather than advisory.

"Any school and conference that decides to move forward—and that decision won’t be until August 21—but if they decide to move forward, they have to meet a very clear, very rigid protocol… They’re not guidelines anymore. They’re mandatory."

With Emmert’s directness comes some clarity. The NCAA will hold every athletic program accountable to a testing requirement.

"Every school has to test every athlete going forward into competition at least once a week, and no more than 72 hours before any competition. If they can’t get [results] back within a 72 hour period, they simply can’t compete. That’s unfortunate, but that’s the reality."

Is the mandate stringent enough to adequately protect players and staff? Medical advisors at some schools may choose more frequent testing. Even if schools follow the minimum required by the NCAA, roster disruptions could at times be significant. A test 72 hours before a game may be too short an interval for all schools to get test results. That, however, is not the NCAA’s problem.

Unchanged is the fragmented decision-making of playing or not playing. Conference and schools will make those decisions.

Another concern is whether once-per-week testing is the best course of action. When positive tests occur could determine if a player quarantine will mean just one missed game or more. Following CDC guidelines, not quarantining until inside 72 hours before a game, would mean players missing at least two weeks of games.

In the televised comments, Emmert bristled at the claim the NCAA is not doing enough. The debate arising from player demands and NCAA action or inaction will continue. It is impossible to foresee the outcome.

Alabama football fans want to know the Crimson Tide will have no delays in obtaining test results. There is no indication timely test results will be a problem for the University of Alabama.

Should the NCAA be commended or derided for the current decision? Like everything else in the 2020 college football season, it is too early to know.

Stay connected with Bama Hammer. We will pass along to Alabama football fans everything we learn.