NC State transitioning to online-only courses; football season remains a go

In a letter from Chancellor Randy Woodson on Thursday, NC State announced that it will be moving all undergraduate courses online beginning on Aug. 24. NC State has more than 500 students in either quarantine or isolation, with nine Greek houses under quarantine.

The move comes days after UNC-CH made the same decision. NC State athletics released the following statement, which is nearly identical to the one released by UNC earlier in the week:

No, football season is not impacted by the decision to move to online-only courses, and no, athletes aren’t going to be sent home. The money train is full steam ahead, because it’s desperation time and no athletics department with a football season still on the table is going to throw in the towel based on something as inconsequential as public health.

The top-down failure by this university and others is appalling all the moreso because it was predictable. It’s been obvious for months that moving thousands of undergraduate students into close quarters on campus would end badly, especially since NC State wasn’t interested in spending the effort and money necessary for widespread testing as the kids arrived on campus. Woodson knew better and did nothing.

The only apparent plan here was to issue a mask and a dollop of sanitizer to each student while school officials crossed their fingers, closed their eyes, and shoved their heads up their own asses.