South Carolina Governor Won't Allow HS, CFB Games If COVID-19 Cases Keep Rising

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said Wednesday he will not allow college football or high school games in the state if COVID-19 rates do not improve.

"If these numbers continue to rise and the danger persists, I can't do it," McMaster said during a news conference," per Kirk Brown of the Greenville News (via USA Today). "I won't do it."

There is a ban in the state on spectator sports, and the governor said he's not ready to lift it based on the numbers.

"That means this fall will not be like other falls," he said. "We will not be able to have college football. We'll not be able to have high school football."

South Carolina saw its coronavirus rate grow significantly in June, and Monday represented the state's all-time high of 1,738 new cases, per South Carolina's official testing site. The United States saw more new cases Wednesday (over 54,000) than any point since the virus began to spread within the country, per the Center for Disease Control.

This has created concern as sports prepare their return after several months on hiatus.

NCAA President Mark Emmert recently said "we are likely to have football" in the fall, per Seth Davis of The Athletic.

However, the rise in COVID-19 cases could put the 2020 college football season in jeopardy.

With Clemson the odds-on favorite to win the national championship—Caesars lists the squad at +250 (bet $100 to win $250) to win it all—the state restrictions in South Carolina bear watching.