Oklahoma's Lincoln Riley: 'By September, the World Is Going to Need Football'

Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley hopes football can be something of a healing force for the country and world when it eventually emerges from the coronavirus pandemic. 

"I feel by September, the world is going to need football," he told reporters. "Hopefully, I think a lot of that will be determined by our country's response to this and how serious every single person takes it. Hopefully we, as a country, can do the best we can."

Riley is not the only head coach of a football powerhouse who has stressed the importance of taking the coronavirus seriously and doing what is necessary for public health.

LSU coach Ed Orgeron, Alabama coach Nick Saban and Ohio State coach Ryan Day are among those who have issued public statements asking fans to stay safe and do their part in fighting the spread of COVID-19:

As for Riley, he didn't seem particularly concerned about the loss of spring practices even though there is a potential quarterback battle between redshirt freshman Spencer Rattler and redshirt sophomore Tanner Mordecai.

"It just doesn't give me anxiety right now," he said. "These guys, I've been in the meeting room with them for a long time. I've seen them play, seen them practice, seen how they prepare and just getting a feel for their knowledge of what we're doing. I've got a lot of confidence in those two."

The Sooners made the College Football Playoff last season but lost to the eventual national champion LSU Tigers in the semifinals.

They have made the playoff in each of Riley's three years at the helm with quarterbacks Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts but have yet to win the national championship.