Schoffel: If college football isn't played, it won't be for lack of trying

Part of that is because of the unique nature of college sports. The players in these programs are not professional athletes, earning millions of dollars each year. They're amateur athletes -- college students.

There's a difference.

On top of that, there's no autonomous governing body that will dictate what happens on campuses across the country. In the NBA, for example, Commissioner Adam Silver will work with the owners and the players' union to devise a plan that will apply to the entire league. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is doing the same right now in baseball, as is Roger Goodell in the NFL.

College football doesn't have such an office.

If you had forgotten that fact, several university and conference officials have offered emphatic reminders throughout this process. It typically happens right after another university or conference official hints that they're not comfortable with football resuming any time soon.

The Southeastern Conference, for example, has made it abundantly clear that it won't be affected by the decisions of other conferences. If the only 14 schools in the country playing college football this season are in that league, then so be it.

And when NCAA President Mark Emmert made a comment a few days ago that college sports shouldn't resume until students are back on campus -- as opposed to distance learning -- we saw some not-so-subtle pushback from others in the industry.

"The NCAA has no jurisdiction or decision-making power for how we are going to play college football this season at the FBS level," Texas Tech A.D. Kirby Hocutt said, according to reports. "That decision-making process rests with the conference offices, commissioners and presidents that lead our schools."

Then there was this from Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby: "They (the NCAA) can't mandate when we go back or determine exactly when that happens. They can just give us the best advice they can provide, based upon scientists and medical information."

This type of back-and-forth has been going on for many weeks and likely will continue for many more. Every time there is a suggestion that this season won't be played, another entity chimes in to set the record straight.