The fate of the 2020 college football season continues to remain in limbo at this time following the coronavirus pandemic around the world and with campuses shutting down across the country, many have begun to wonder if students and fans will even be allowed to be on campus once the fall arrives.

That’s led some to suggest the only way the upcoming season is played would be without fans in the stands, or at the very least, a little number of fans at the games.

During his latest appearance on Birmingham-based 94.5 FM radio program “The RoundTable,” SEC Network host Paul Finebaum was asked to share his thoughts on the possibility of college football being played without fans this season.

“I think so but I will say this Ryan, after talking to a lot of people last week, ADs, commissioners and head football coaches, I think there is clearly a line drawn about football without fans and it just seems like it would make the sport look extraordinarily desperate and I think he could have a long term effect,” Finebaum said on the show. “Now you weigh that against no football and I understand the argument.

“Jimbo Fisher said the other day, listen I don’t want it, and I’m paraphrasing, you know sometimes you just have to do things that you don’t want to do. I just have a hard time believing that the five Power 5 commissioners, as you trickle down to college presidents, are going to do that. Because if you can’t put people in the stands, why is it safe to put people on the field and locker rooms? And I think another thing you have to consider if college campuses aren’t open, I don’t see any way that they’ll be football. We’ve all asked this question 1,000 times and he kind of just do it robotically — on this morning, April 13, we still don’t have any idea.”

After noting he has reached out and spoken to many in college football recently, Finebaum was then asked if he believed the option of having no fans in the stands for the upcoming season would still be an option for the 2020 season.

“I think it really depends on how the decision is made,” Finebaum answered. “I think there’s a better chance you could have pro football than college football, because they don’t make any bones about the fact that it is a business and it’s a lucrative business. For college football, theoretically, is supposed to be, I say this laughing, a part of the college experience. But it’s still hard to believe.

“We’ve all heard the same things, you know, could you possibly, you know, do it slowly? Yes. I think that would be the best way to do it, to say okay well, we’ll figure out a way to only let X number of people in the stadium. And by the way, not to be a negative Nelly here but that’s assuming you could fill a stadium right now.”

So when it comes down to it, who is making the decision to have football come the fall?

“I don’t mean to diminish the responsibility of anyone in the food chain but clearly the college president is going to be the most responsible person, because, while the athletic director has liability with everyone that goes to his games, he still answers to the president,” Finebaum continued. “The president answers to a board of trustees and I cannot imagine a responsible college president saying it’s okay for my football team to play at whichever stadium we are talking about, but it’s not okay for students to come on board.”

Take all that how you will but based on those responses, if campuses aren’t open and fans aren’t allowed in the stands, Finebaum appears to be leaning toward no college football be played this fall.