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Duke athletics could look very different in the 2020-21 academic year

By Kevin Connelly

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 07: Members of the Cameron Crazies paint themselves blue and white in Krzyzewskiville before the game between the Duke athletics team and the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 07, 2020 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 07: Members of the Cameron Crazies paint themselves blue and white in Krzyzewskiville before the game between the Duke athletics team and the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 07, 2020 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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The landscape of Duke athletics could look very different in the 2020-21 academic year.

The sports world was shut down in mid-March because of the coronavirus, and as things try and return to some form of normal, sports will not look the same for the foreseeable future.

Many professional leagues are trying to develop ways to finish their 2019-20 seasons in mid-July amid the pandemic, but college institutions and athletic programs are looking ahead to the 2020-21 season for fall, winter, and spring sports.

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One major factor in how collegiate sports will look around the country depends on each university, and Duke University announced its changes for the 2020-21 academic year.

Duke University President Vincent Price announced the school will start its year on August 17 and continue through Thanksgiving without a fall break. The school will have options for in-person and online instruction.

The spring semester will begin a week late on January 19 and conclude on April 26 without a spring break.

However, there are several other precautions the university is taking, two of which could have a significant impact on the various elite athletic teams.

The first precaution is that all faculty, students, staff, and visitors will be required to wear masks in public settings and practice physical distancing, and all students living on-campus or off-campus will be expected to remain in the Durham area during the semester.

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If sports are to return to Durham in the fall, it certainly doesn’t seem as if fans would be in attendance, and if they are, masks would be required for all attendees.

The question then must be proposed if all coaches and inactive players would also have to wear masks for Duke and the opposing team.

Furthermore, on the topic of students needing to remain in the Durham area, would there be road athletic games outside of the Durham area?

Would the football team be allowed to travel to Pittsburgh on September 26?

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Would the Duke basketball team be allowed to travel to Chicago for the Champions Classic in early November?

It is certainly a good sight to see things are beginning to return to normal around the world, but in terms of Duke athletics, there are more questions than answers at the present time.

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