The potential return of football would be boon in multiple areas

West Virginia, and all college programs for that matter, need football be played.

The reasons are obvious considering the cash-cow that the games produce for all college athletic programs. Revenue generated from ticket sales as well as television contracts help to mitigate some of the losses experienced in other sports.

The Mountaineers have already had to make several changes to their athletic department budget in order to try to make up for around $5 million that has been lost. That number would be significantly higher if you take the game of football out of the equation.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out the impact that a fall without the ball being kicked off could mean for colleges from the financial side of things.

But the return of the game could be beneficial in many other areas as well outside the realm of simply what it could mean in regards to dollars and cents.

That is certainly the stance of West Virginia head coach Neal Brown.

“I think our country needs something to look forward to,” he said.

Sports in general serving as a unifying force that often brings people together in many capacities. That is true at all levels from the little league contests to the highest levels of sports. That aspect has been missing and is something that could help turn the tide in a lot of areas such as well-being.

But that obviously falls under the umbrella that it’s done the correct way when heeding the advice of those informed on coming back from the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think it’s a positive for the state of West Virginia and positive for our country. We have to do it intelligently, we have to listen to the medical experts and people that know what they’re talking about,” Brown said.

Brown has dealt with the challenges of not having sports in his everyday life and it’s no secret that he misses viewing basketball games or even attending events with his family.

“That’s huge for our family. It’s great family time,” he said.

For now, college programs are in a standstill until at least May 31 as major conferences as well as the football oversight committee determine when an acceptable date for a return to the games can be. Brown is looking forward to when that date for a return is set in order to move onto the next step in preparing those student athletes for a return.

That potential return is still being examined by officials with no clear determination yet, but the thought is that it could take anywhere from six to eight weeks of preparation before competition can begin.

So for now we wait, which is what we’ve all been doing regardless, to see what resolution will come and when sports are available again for our consumption.

“Athletics in general when we get the go-ahead is going to be huge for our country,” Brown said.

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