College football programs might not be protected from lawsuits just because players sign coronavirus waivers.
Right now, multiple programs have had players sign different kinds of waivers as athletes return to campus for voluntary activities. However, that might not offer a whole lot of protection. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
The student-athlete Coronavirus waiver from SMU (via @SamBlum3) pic.twitter.com/hNVfw3fgt4
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) June 15, 2020
Sports business analyst Rick Horrow told Paul Finebaum, “Just because someone signs a piece of paper doesn’t mean they’re not going to sue.”
Sports business analyst Rick Horrow on the waivers some colleges are having football players sign regarding the coronavirus: “Just because someone signs a piece of paper doesn’t mean they’re not going to sue.”
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) June 17, 2020
I’ve actually wondered this a bunch and have talked about it with people in the sport. While nobody seems to know anything about whether or not lawsuits will come, people in college football are terrified of what will happen if an entire locker room gets decimated or a player gets hospitalized.
There’s a very real belief it could result in the entire season getting shut down. If a player does get hospitalized after signing a waiver, will they sue?
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This is America, and people sue all the time for all different reasons. I honestly wouldn’t rule out anything.
If you get an ambitious lawyer who thinks they can go after a major athletic department, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if lawsuits were filed over sick athletes.
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The good news is that it doesn’t seem to be a major concern right now. As a football fan, I hope like hell it stays that way!