San Jose State football: All in with the new-found 2020 season

The San Jose State football virtual media presser ran as expected Friday. Positive and exciting news all around. Minimal downsides - so far.

Spartan AD Marie Tuite opened the Zoom news conference citing the months of discussions and coordination among all the conference ADs on the pandemic impact and the on-going planning to play football.

“It’s been most collaborative,” said Tuite.“ And I’m pleased of the positive and constructive attitudes.”

There are two more policy steps needed for San Jose State to play. Santa Clara County and the CSU Chancellor must each independently OK the move prior to the Spartans officially hitting the field.

The approval is expected given the Mountain West also established a rapid-result test partnership with Quest Diagnostics for all conference members. The test-cost burden is expected to be covered by the conference, as announced by commissioner Craig Thompson.

San Jose State football has experienced only two positive, but asymptomatic results, so far, as they continue to track and monitor all sport athletes closely. Football athletes expect to be tested at least three times per week.

Spartan head coach Brent Brennan was adamant the added layer of discipline to combat the virus is built in.

“It’s just another piece of discipline that we need to carry into this season,” stated Brennan. “And knowing now that we’re playing football, that should be even more incentive, right? We don’t want any games canceled. We have a chance to play eight. Let’s do everything we can to play eight.”

In the overall culture the program continues to tout, responsibility and mature choices are exactly expected of every player since day one of Brennan’s tenure.

Given there’ll be no postponement of games, only cancellations, every conference team must be in this disciplined lockstep for the next three months for this to work for everyone.

Junior defensive end Cade Hall bookend the conference call and expressed the team excitement and readiness for an expected season start at the end of October.

“We’ve been working out for 10 weeks, but we haven’t necessarily known if we were working out for any particular goal,” Hall said. “We didn’t know if we were going to play in the spring or this year. Having a timeline, having a season and something to work is huge.”

The eagerness will certainly be there. It will be the game speed and team execution to see next in anticipation of the new-found season, though no fans in the stands will be able to see it first hand for now.