College football players at a crossroads as U.S. charts path in COVID-19 era

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VIDEO SHOWS: FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY SEMINOLES WARMING UP WHILE WEARING FACE MASKS / INTERVIEW WITH DEFENSIVE BACK FOR UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, ANN ARBOR, HUNTER REYNOLDS / PHOTOS OF MICHIGAN STADIUM AT UNIVERSITY MICHIGAN, ANN ARBOR DURING LOCKDOWN / FOOTAGE OF OHIO STADIUM AT OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY IN COLUMBUS DURING LOCKDOWN

SHOWS:

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (RECENT - AUGUST 4, 2020) (FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY HANDOUT - MUST COURTESY FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY, NO RESALE)

1. VARIOUS OF FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY (FSU) PLAYERS PRACTICING WITH MASKS

COLUMBUS, OHIO, UNITED STATES (RECENT - AUGUST 11, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

2. DOME OUTSIDE OHIO STADIUM

3. CLOSE OF FACE MASK WITH "OHIO" WRITTEN

4. PAIR WALKING PAST FOOTBALL STADIUM

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES (AUGUST 14, 2020) (REUTERS VIA ZOOM - ACCESS ALL)

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEFENSIVE BACK FOR UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, ANN ARBOR, HUNTER REYNOLDS, SAYING:

"I mean, it's obviously a disappointing feeling, just knowing that all the hard work we've been putting in since the end of last season, [VARIOUS PHOTOS OF MICHIGAN STADIUM AND CAMPUS] you know, we won't be able to show it off this fall. And it's also disappointing knowing that there wasn't really communication with the players throughout this entire process. But at the end of the day, the decision's been made and it was out of our hands and we can't control it anymore. You know, it's gonna be weird seeing the big house (Michigan Stadium) empty on Saturday afternoon. But, you know me personally, I'm just looking forward to continuing to work out and put myself in as best the position as possible, so when we do have a season, I'm ready."

STORY: As the debate rages over whether U.S. college football should open its season during the coronavirus pandemic, the Florida State Seminoles are running drills ahead of the fall season.

The ACC is going forward with fall play. It is not alone. The Big 12, one of the most powerful conferences in U.S. college football, said on Aug. 12 it was confident the sport could be played safely with measures in place to mitigate the risk of COVID-19.

The announcement came a day after two other "Power Five" conferences - the Pac-12 and Big Ten - said they would sideline players because of concerns over the outbreak, with the hope that they could resume competition in the spring.

With just weeks remaining before the traditional kick off to the college season, the split among the sport's biggest powers on is emblematic of a wider political and cultural debate playing out across the country about how life should be conducted during a pandemic.

Much more than the health and safety of players is at stake. College football is big business, and universities that forego the season collectively stand to lose billions of dollars in revenue at a time when many are experiencing declining enrollment because of the outbreak.

University of Michigan defensive back Hunter Reynolds faced a predicament: A willingness to play in a conference that had pulled the plug on the fall season.

Speaking from his Ann Arbor apartment, the defensive back told Reuters that he was "just looking forward to continuing to work out and put myself in as best the position as possible, so when we do have a season, I'm ready."

His Big 10 team had already progressed through mini camp into regular training when the conference put the season on hold.

He said some players were taking it harder than others. He himself said, "it's disappointing."

(Production by: Dan Fastenberg and Amy Tennery)