Let’s say the college football season opens sometime, a huge presumption right now, for sure. Whether it’s a 12-game season in the fall with or without fans (assuming students are back on campus, of course), or a conference game-only schedule that starts in October or, heaven forbid, a spring season ...

Let’s assume college football returns to our radar — for a while, at least, without fans.

What happens?

You’ll watch college football games in record numbers, that’s what.

“Viewers are starved for sports programming,” said Des Moines resident Ray Cole, past ABC board member and liaison to ESPN. “They’ll be watching college football sometime, and when they do, there could be more people watching than have watched in the past.

“The core fanbase will watch. The second-tier fan base who watched because of the pomp and pageantry for whom that total packaging of a sporting event was important —they may watch more casually than in the past, but on balance, fans will watch.”

Cy vs. Hawk on Sept. 12 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, for instance, could draw more state of Iowa television eyes than that game has ever drawn. It’s the second game of the season, which means fans attending games could still be a no-no. It should be a game between Top 25 teams, a first for this rivalry. The past three games have been decided by 10 points or fewer.

That game always has something for everyone. If fans still aren’t allowed in stadiums, it could even include some viewer enticements uncommon to the college game.

“Networks may actually look at producing games differently, if no fans are present,” Cole said.

Players and coaches were mic’d up in televised XFL games back when football was played. The banter was intriguing. It provided a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on between plays.

That was also professional ball. I can’t imagine the NCAA allowing that access, although it’d be enlightening.

“I would be surprised if all rights holders aren’t actively engaged with their conferences and schools and universities and the NCAA about how they manage the ramp-up — assuming there’s a ramp-up,” Cole said. “They can’t control when the health officials declare when we can start returning to a more normal life, whatever that may look like, but they can start putting some plans and contingencies into place.”

Cole is my go-to when seeking the network angle. He’s knowledgeable. He’s been on the front lines. He knows a lot of the important people.

He also agrees with us all that really, the return of college football is way down the importance list right now, no matter how much money the TV contracts mean for the schools.

“College and sports leagues are going to have to solve one of the greatest Rubik’s Cubes of all-time,” Cole said, “twisting all those colors and lining them up to the point that fans can expect and appreciate.”

The game is more than touchdowns, sacks and the occasional pick-six — something networks certainly realize. It’s also what surrounds the game.

“College football is also about the pomp, the pageantry and the tailgating,” Cole said of the popular camera cutaways. “It’s about the marching bands and all that surrounds the game itself.

“It’s hard to imagine the college game that so many of us love, being the same without all of that surrounding aura.”

Everything is tough to imagine these days.

“I think people will be craving entertainment of all kinds when we come back from all this,” Cole said. “We’re at a red light right now. When we get the blinking yellow — that’ll be a step-in right direction.”

The green light?

Doctors and government leaders will have to figure that one out.

Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson has been writing for the Des Moines Register for parts of six decades. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, 515-284-8132, and on Twitter at @RandyPete. No one covers the Cyclones like the Register. Subscribe today at DesMoinesRegister.com/Deal to make sure you never miss a moment.