Chastain: Return of football season exciting for everyone involved
Somehow, some way, we are going to have a football season in the Mid-American Conference.
Central Michigan will play three football games in Kelly/Shorts Stadium this fall and look to defend its MAC West Division title. In doing so, the Chippewas will have to play three divisional games on the road.
On Sept. 5 – the day CMU was supposed to originally open the season – I wrote about the disappointment the cancellation of the fall season brought.
The return of the football season is fantastic for the players. It's fantastic for those who work in the athletic department and cover the team. It's fantastic for the fans who figuratively live and die by the performance of their team each week.
Yes, there will be testing to ensure all of the student-athletes are safe and don't spread COVID-19 while they are out competing and, likewise, to the rest of the student body.
We have seen other programs in other conferences play since the last weekend of August. Sure, there have been some games that needed to be rescheduled or canceled altogether.
Playing a season safely can be done. By starting the season in November, it will give the student-athletes the opportunity to showcase their skills, do so in a safe manner and potentially help their future to go to the next level.
I, personally, am excited for the football season to return to Mount Pleasant after seeing teams across the country start the season and how insane the upsets have been week after week.
When I wrote about the disappointment of the cancellation in September, I wrote about my family and how football is one of the backbones of my family. We were able to watch football as a family a few weekends ago and it was one of the more wholesome weekends and created a sense of the normalcy we crave.
Professionally speaking, having a front-row seat to history is a privilege. If there is anything that I've learned in the last eight months, it is to never take anything for granted — college football season included.
Reporter Christian Booher and I are excited to bring you closer to the action this season with our coverage at Central Michigan Life to give you a perspective of what football amid a global pandemic is like.
We, like you, are excited for the season and we're ready for it to get underway.
It's good to be back in MACtion.
