Sankey touted the COVID-19 as "an important and incredible product of science" and shouldn't be used as "a political football." He added that, with a full 12-game schedule, there will be no opportunity to reschedule games delayed by COVID breakouts.

The consequences for teams that are hit with such a breakout could be severe.

"You're expected to play as scheduled. That means your team needs to be healthy to compete, and if not, that game won't be rescheduled," Sankey said bluntly. "And thus, to dispose of the game, the 'forfeit' word comes up at this point."

Sankey also discussed the other elephant in the room: the situation involving name, image and likeness laws for college athletes. The commissioner said the NCAA's temporary NIL rules were "no substitute for a national standard," and laws varying state to state made a complex situation even more difficult.

"Because state laws are either inconsistent or nonexistent, the NCAA rules can no longer resolve key issues. We need a federal solution," he said. "We understand it's difficult to gather the support for such federal legislation. However, congressional action is necessary if we're going to provide every student a clear, consistent, and fair opportunity to benefit from their name, image, and likeness."