Editorial

STUDY: Fans Attending NFL And College Football Games Didn’t Increase The Spread Of Coronavirus

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters

David Hookstead Sports And Entertainment Editor
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College football and NFL games apparently played no role in the spread of coronavirus.

According to a study published on Medrxiv.org from Asmae Toumi, Haoruo Zhao, Jagpreet Chhatwal, Benjamin P. Linas and Turgay Ayer, fans in the stands at NFL and college football games didn’t result in an explosion of coronavirus cases. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)

The study concluded the following:

This time-series, cross-sectional study of U.S. counties with NFL and NCAA football games used matching and difference-in-differences design to estimate the effect of games with limited in-person attendance on county-level COVID-19 spread. Our study does not find an increase in county-level COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents due to NFL and NCAA football games held with limited in-person attendance…This study suggests that NFL and NCAA games held with limited in-person attendance do not cause an increase in COVID-19 cases in the counties they are held.

Remember when we were told games might not be allowed to happen and the idea of having fans was impossible and irresponsible?

Looks like another huge swing and a miss from the people who tried to cancel sports at any and all costs.

I told everyone who would listen throughout the summer and the season that football could be played at a minimum, and we could probably have some level of fans in the stands.

While the Big 10 didn’t allow fans, the SEC allowed some attendance and there really weren’t any issues. Several NFL teams also allowed fans and the season concluded as scheduled.

Now, the science seems to indicate those fans didn’t contribute in any large fashion to spreading COVID-19. Will any of the “experts” admit they were wrong? I doubt it, but we’ve come to expect that.

Now, it’s time to gear up for another season of college football and NFL action. We successfully completed the 2020 seasons, and it’s time to get it rolling. The science appears to be on our side!

H/T: Outkick