Gus Malzahn has probably never been happier to see a football.

His Tigers can finally hold some semblance of an organized practice session on their indoor field. Starting Friday, Auburn can require players to take part in up to 20 hours of team activities, more than doubling their previous, eight-hours-per-week training from July 13-23.

Teams can now, most notably, participate in up to six hours per week of walkthrough sessions, which can include the use of a football, per the NCAA's preseason model approved by its Football Oversight Committee in May.

Earlier in July, players were allowed eight hours per week of conditioning, training and film review.

Beginning Friday, eight hours are devoted to conditioning alone, while six weekly hours are allotted for team meetings, which can include film study, and position, team or individual meetings, all of which must be conducted virtually if social distancing and mask wearing cannot be achieved.

The new, 20-hour weeks must include at least two days off for players.

In two weeks, once Auburn completes 40 hours of the aforementioned activities, it can begin fall camp Aug. 7, only five days later than last year's preseason camp start date.

During the walkthrough sessions, Malzahn and staff can conduct more thorough drills thanks to footballs being present, and can begin incrementally overviewing schemes and lineups, which will be particularly valuable to break in new offensive coordinator Chad Morris.

No longer will rising sophomore quarterback Bo Nix have to just pretend to throw a football, like he does in a workout video released by the team last week.

Following sessions inside the practice facility, Auburn's footballs will be deep cleaned in an oxygen chamber.

Associate athletic director Dana Marquez explained in a video from Auburn's equipment crew that after each quarterback's bag is sanitized, they're sealed and marked so Nix and company know what equipment can be used at the next throwing session.

As has been the case since the coronavirus pandemic began, all Malzahn can do is keep pushing his team forward with safety as the top priority. By all accounts Auburn has been satisfied with its players' accountability and maturity in the face of strange, new measures being asked of them.

But one team alone can't control the fate of the college football season.

Auburn's 2020 schedule officially took its first hit earlier this week when the SWAC, which contains the Tigers' Week 1 opponent of Alcorn State, canceled fall competition for all its teams.

A glut of options remain on the table for the season — conference-only schedules, a delayed start pushing back to October, and even a months-long delay that would see season openers played in February or March, are all considered possibilities.

But that's all they are at this point: possibilities.

While certain FCS and Division-II conferences have come to some decisions, nothing is set in stone for the entire Power Five. The Big Ten, Pac-12 and ACC are all expected to play only conference games. The SEC and Big 12 have yet to make final verdicts on the matter.

Will those schedules include a "plus-one" nonconference game? Is Auburn's much-anticipated matchup with North Carolina gone for good? Will Auburn replace Alcorn State, or will the Tigers' first game be in Week 3 against Ole Miss?

As the season's original start date nears, questions continue to mount, with few answers in response.

So Auburn will take its small victories as they come — like using a football for the first time in months.

NOT A MEMBER?

JOIN AUBURNSPORTS.COM TODAY to enjoy around-the-clock content including stories, analysis, videos, podcasts, call-in shows and The Greatest Message Board In The History of The Internet.