Trump says canceling college football season would be 'tragic mistake'

close

Video

Jim Gray on fate of college football season: It doesn't look good

The risk is much, much too great right now for universities, sportscaster Jim Gray says.

President Trump said Tuesday that college football would be making a “tragic mistake” in canceling the 2020 season over the coronavirus.

The Big Ten is one of the Power 5 conferences that are reportedly set to vote on whether to have a college football season this year or in the spring. Trump, who appeared in a radio interview on Outkick, told host Clay Travis what he thought about the notion of canceling the season.

OHIO STATE'S RYAN DAY: CANCELING THE FOOTBALL SEASON RIGHT NOW 'WOULD BE A MISTAKE'

Trump, citing a doctor, said that because the college football athletes are in good shape, they would have less of a chance to contract the coronavirus and he didn't expect them to have any issues with it.

“The other thing is, somebody was explaining to me, one of the great doctors, he said that these people are so powerful and so strong, not lots of body fat – perhaps you can take some offensive lineman and dispute that – but not a lot of body fat and maybe none in some cases and they’re very healthy people. People don’t realize this but a tiny percentage of people that get sick … they’re old. It just attacks old people, especially old people with bad hearts, diabetes or some kind of a physical problem,” he said.

MAJOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL PROGRAMS COULD LOSE BILLIONS FROM CANCELED SEASON

“This attacks older people very viciously by the way. It can be if it’s the wrong person. These football players are very young, strong people physically. Physically, they’re in extraordinary shape. So they’re not gonna have a problem. You’re gonna see people … you know could it happen but I doubt it. You’re not gonna see people dying and many people get it and they’re gonna have … kids they get it and they have the sniffles … it’s almost none have a serious problem with it. I mean literally. I think they said the state of California, almost nobody that young, like zero, had a problem with being a serious problem with this disease. They get better very quickly if they get it at all.”

He added that he thought "football is making a tragic mistake” while marveling at the atmosphere of the games he attended last season. Trump appeared at the LSU-Alabama and Army-Navy contests and the national championship game between LSU and Clemson.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON foxnews.1eye.us

Two Football Bowl Subdivision conferences have already postponed their college football seasons – the Mid-American and Mountain West Conferences. Both conferences have said they are looking to play all fall sports in the spring.