The debate regarding the fate of the upcoming college football season has seemingly gone back and forth a half dozen times this offseason but the latest comments from Paul Finebaum are encouraging for those holding out hope that the fall season will be played in 2020.

During his weekly Monday morning appearance on Birmingham-based WJOX 94.5 FM radio show “The Roundtable,” the SEC Network host was asked about a recent conversation he had with AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco regarding the fate of the upcoming season.

Finebaum came away encouraged after speaking with the league commissioner and television executive.

“I think Aresco pointed toward decisions at least middle to end of this week by ACC and the SEC, and the Big 12 looks like its already made its decision,” Finebaum said on the show. “But yeah, they are committed to playing and nothing I’m saying now it’s surprising to any of you guys. I think the decision is, ‘We’ll keep playing until we’re told we can’t.’ And right now no one has said that.

“And quite frankly, I think the season would start today if it had to. So after all this teeth-gnashing and everything that has been said, I really haven’t heard much from anyone can indicate that they’re not planning on playing.”

While those comments are encouraging, stories like the one of Michigan State’s entire program having to be shut down for 14 days due to a COVID-19 outbreak are certainly discouraging. Would a shut down on that level even be possible during training camp?

“No, and I had a coach texted me the other day saying do you think they are really going to set them back? The answer is yes,” Finebaum continued. “And I think, Jim said it, I mean there’s so much money at stake. There’s so much on the line, and quite frankly, to call the season off now, I don’t think is really very brilliant because you don’t know what the world looks like in six weeks. I think they all have to gamble that it gets better and if it doesn’t then they’ll deal with it.”

So when will the final decision be made? That’s still unclear at this point.

“I’m sure there’s ultimately a cutoff date, where you would have to make a more difficult call, but right now, I think the plan is will start on time and if two weeks from now it doesn’t look like that’s possible, they’ll delay it,” Finebaum added. “And I think that’s, that’s the new normal is just, you know, try to start, if not delay and then deal with it on the other end.”