SEC Announces Delayed Start Of 2020 Football Season
The Southeastern Conference will kick off its 2020 football season on September 26 as it monitors the spread of COVID-19, three weeks later than the original planned start on Labor Day weekend.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey announced plans Thursday for a 10-game conference-only schedule this fall. He said the delayed start will allow SEC schools to focus on the healthy return of students and staff, factoring in a gradual return to athletics.
“After careful consideration of the public health indicators in our region and following advice of our medical advisors, we have determined that this is the best course of action to prepare for a safe and healthy return to competition for SEC student-athletes, coaches and others associated with our sports programs,” Sankey said in a statement.
The commissioner said the schedule supports safety measures being implemented at SEC schools amid the coronavirus pandemic. The SEC will limit competition to conference-only opponents. The move could save the SEC millions of dollars by eliminating “buy games.”
“This new plan for a football schedule is consistent with the educational goals of our universities to allow for the safe and orderly return to campus of their student populations and to provide a healthy learning environment during these unique circumstances presented by the COVID-19 virus,” Sankey said. “This new schedule supports the safety measures that are being taken by each of our institutions to ensure the health of our campus communities.”
The SEC football championship is slated for December 19 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Officials said the schedule adjustments offer the best opportunity to complete a full season, allowing opportunities to adapt given the fluid nature of the virus.
In effort to protect children, France bans smoking at parks and beaches
Smokers are no longer allowed to light up in public parks, at swimming pools, or at beaches, or "anywhere children may be present," said French health and family minister Catherine Vautrin.
80 years later, a Holocaust survivor meets an American soldier who helped free him
Andrew Roth survived the Nazi concentration camp Buchenwald. Jack Moran helped liberate the camp while serving in the U.S. Army. Decades after liberation, the two met and shared their stories.
Decades later, Karen de Boer still remembers a kind gesture from her college hallmate
As a college freshman, Karen de Boer was sometimes inconsiderate to her hallmate, Pam. So when Karen missed the bus to her choir performance, she was surprised — and moved — when Pam came to her rescue.
DOJ announces plans to prioritize cases to revoke citizenship
Denaturalization is a tactic heavily used during the McCarthy era and one that was expanded during the Obama administration and grew further during President Trump's first term. It's a tool usually used in only the most serious and rare of cases: dealing with Nazis or war criminals.
The best support for a friend with cancer? Presence, listening and space to vent
People who get cancer say their friends often disappear when they hear the bad news. Don't be that person! Here's advice for what to do and say — and what not to say — when a loved one faces cancer.
Murders are down nationwide. Researchers point to a key reason
Homicides are falling dramatically in many U.S. cities, after a surge in 2020 and 2021. Analysts say a reinvestment in communities from local government after the pandemic's disruption is a key reason.
