AUBURN | Auburn’s got a long way to go if it wants to reach SEC commissioner Greg Sankey’s goal of being 80 percent vaccinated for the COVID-19 virus by the start of the season.

Still longer if it wants to reach the 85 percent threshold that could opt players out of additional testing and mask wearing.

“That 60-percent range is where we are," coach Bryan Harsin said. "I don't know by the time we get to the season where we'll be because a lot of things change as you get everybody back together, you get into camp and you're all just one focused on the season and the game that's in front of you. We'll see where we go with that. Our players are being educated."

Harsin has leaned on Dr. Michael Goodlett to lead the vaccination effort at Auburn. Harsin said the team hasn’t had a positive test during the last five months, but called the decision to get a COVID-19 vaccine “deeply personal” and bigger than the possibility of gaining a competitive advantage.

“I think the message of, you know, the pandemic and things that are happening -- it's bigger than SEC football, right? Let's start with that,” said Harsin. “No, have I said any of those things to my team about anything with their health and the competition part of winning a football game? No. It's been about real life. It's been about families. It's been about decisions. It's been about what it means to them personally.

"And so, I'm not bringing in a pandemic and personal choices and all that to talk about a competitive advantage. This is where we get a chance to talk about real life and things that when football ends -- because it will for every single one of our players at some point -- are just bigger than that.”

Auburn’s two biggest rivals are taking a different approach. Alabama’s Nick Saban said his team is close to 90 percent vaccinated while Georgia’s Kirby Smart said the Bulldogs are over 85 percent.

Saban echoed Harsin’s emphasis on a personal choice but said there’s more to it when you’re talking about a football team that wants to compete for championships.

“So every player has a personal decision to make to evaluate the risk of COVID relative to vaccine, and then they have a competitive decision to make on how it impacts their ability to play in games, because with the vaccine you probably have a better chance. Without it, you have a lesser chance that something could happen, a bigger chance that something could happen that may keep you from being on the field, which doesn't enhance your personal development,” said Saban.

“Then how does it affect the team if you bring it to the team? So these are choices and decisions that every player has to make. Our approach has been, I think we've had three medical doctors sort of give lectures to our team about the pros and cons of the whole COVID circumstance, the vaccine circumstance, so that they can make intelligent decisions about what they do.”

In his opening remarks Monday, Sankey said only six of 14 SEC schools had reached the 80 percent vaccine threshold. Positive COVID tests forced N.C. State to forfeit a game against Vanderbilt in the College World Series and lose an opportunity to play for a national championship.

A half dozen U.S. athletes have already had to withdraw from the Olympics due to positive COVID-19 tests.

“Let me be clear to our fans, to our coaches, to our staff members, and to our student-athletes: COVID-19 vaccines are widely available. They've proven to be highly effective. And when people are fully vaccinated, we all have the ability to avoid serious health risks, reduce the virus' spread, and maximize our chances of returning to a normal college football experience and to normal life,” said Sankey.

“With six weeks to go before kickoff, now is the time to seek that full vaccination. And we know nothing is perfect, but the availability and the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines are an important and incredible product of science. It's not a political football, and we need to do our part to support a healthy society because, as we look back, the potential absence of college sports last year caused us to think about not losing sight of the lifelong experiences, the laboratory of learning that takes place, and the educational benefits that accrue to the people who participate on our teams.”