For the first time in over two months, this past Sunday felt normal for sports fans. Well, kind of.

Those that have been desperate for the action to return in some form or fashion were rewarded with a full-day slate of televised live sports played before no fans.

The Bundesliga, Germany's top soccer league, kicked things off in the morning with two regular-season matches. Then four Taylormade-sponsored pro-golfers, two of which are Top Five players in the world, played a televised skins match and raised millions of dollars for COVID-19 relief in the process.

NASCAR closed-out the action with The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway, less than 150 miles from Carter-Finley Stadium.

For all of the excitement that comes with the return of live sports -- and some sense of normalcy -- so too does the anticipation for the competition that hits closer to home.

While a return to action of any kind was promising for other leagues holding out to return, there remains uncertainty about when America’s most popular sports will resume, particularly when it comes to college sports.

There’s one primary caveat that separates Sunday’s competition from the student-athletes in waiting. All of the performers that returned yesterday are paid professionals.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t a solution to allow college athletes to compete as the nation endures a pandemic. It’s simply a reality that the prerequisites for such a return differ from the professional ranks.

With 108 days between now and the scheduled start of NC State’s football season, there is plenty of time for preparation before the season opener. However, there are still several items to get in order before the Wolfpack can take the field again. Here are five things that must occur before the action returns to Carter-Finley Stadium this fall:

1. The state of North Carolina has to be in Phase 3 of its recovery plan.

On April 23, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced a three-tier plan of return that extended the original stay-at-home order that began in late March.

North Carolina currently remains in Phase 1, but the state could move into Phase 2 as soon as Friday with the Governor’s approval. Even if that becomes the case this week, entertainment venues are not included in the list of businesses that will be reopened in Phase 2.

Before Carter-Finley Stadium is allowed to open in any capacity, the state must be in Phase 3. According to the Governor’s plan, it will take at least 4-6 weeks from the beginning of Phase 2 for North Carolina to move on to its final stage.

Assuming Phase 2 begins on Friday, a reopening of stadiums would not be allowed until late June or July at the earliest. The college football season can still start as planned according to that timeline, but entering Phase 3 is a required first step before the rest of the conversation can play out.

2. In-person classes must return in some capacity this fall semester.

Many have argued that students must return to campus before any games are played. After all, it’s supposed to be "student" first, "athlete" second, right?

While it’s hard to imagine football being played if it’s not deemed safe for students to return to campus this fall, it’s not entirely a black-and-white issue.

Make no mistake, the return of students must be deemed safe for athletics to return, but it’s unreasonable to expect that campus life will go back to the way it was before the pandemic.

Virtual classes were already becoming more common before COVID-19 shut down the campuses across the country and many of today's students were already taking at least one class online to supplement their in-person schedules. Entering the “new normal” of life post-coronavirus, it wouldn't be surprising for students to be encouraged to take online courses even after the lecture halls reopen.

Will campus need to reopen at least in part for athletics to return? Absolutely. But to quantify a normal schedule of in-person classes as a criterion for the return of college sports is ignoring the context of technology’s already growing role in academia.

At the end of the day, NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson will have the final word on this. Until he gives his nod of approval, Wolfpack games will not return.

3. The NFL must return.

When the NCAA canceled its postseason men’s and women’s basketball tournaments in March, it was left with no other option but to do so. Before the cancellation of the tournaments, the NBA had suspended its season when Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.

If it’s considered unsafe for the athletes that make millions of dollars for their craft to do their job, it would be reckless to expect amateur athletes to play.

The good news for football fans is that the NFL seems determined to stick to its schedule this fall. Without the action returning at the pro level, however, college football can not come back.

4. Limit fan attendance significantly or tell them to stay home.

A lot of what we’ve learned to love about college sports comes from the decorum surrounding it. That includes the fans, the marching bands, the mascots and all of the spectacles revolving around college stadiums on Saturdays in the fall.

Make no mistake, the absence of fans is not an ideal solution. Particularly in college football where a significant portion of the revenue is based on season tickets, parking and concession sales.

As Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley said last week, “Some football is better than no football.” If it comes down to no fans or no football, the answer is simple.

That’s not to say fans couldn’t be allowed down the road if the season started with no attendance. As soon as it's safe to do so, athletic programs will gladly open up the gates to fans.

At this point, however, a season with limited or no attendance is a possibility college football fans across the country should be prepared for. Without a vaccine, it’s hard to imagine a sold-out Carter-Finley Stadium being safe for anyone involved.

5. Most importantly, there must be PLENTY of available testing.

Without a proper supply of testing, the rest of this list doesn’t matter. College or professional, games will not be played until there is sufficient access to testing.

Considering there will need to be routine tests available for every player, coach, trainer, referee and anyone else with access to the field or its facilities, this is likely the toughest challenge standing in the way of a return this fall.

Before universities and conferences can start stockpiling the abundance of tests they will need, the country has to reach a certain supply of testing itself. Until the nation reaches the point where there are no shortages of testing, it seems irresponsible to expend the tens of thousands of tests it would require to play a football season.

With over three months to go until the Labor Day weekend kick-off, there is still a lot of time for progress. In the meantime, football fans have every incentive to keep doing their part in the recovery process.

For all of us that can’t wait for the day football returns, keep social distancing, wear a mask in public and wash your hands routinely. If we can do that effectively as a community, we'll have college sports before you know it.

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