LOUISVILLE, Ky. — 3,000 students are settling into their dorm rooms at the University of Louisville.

"It hasn’t hit me yet that I’m here," said Illinois-native Kylie Quinn, as she unpacked her car with parents Tammy and Billy. The on-campus population is down slightly from the average of 3,500 in years past. Administrators told Spectrum News 1 they are working to accommodate concerns and requests from incoming students, including the often-sought-after single room assignment.

University President Dr. Neeli Bendapudi reiterated her stance that a well-maintained college campus can be just as safe as the outside world right now.

"Wherever we are there is some element of risk," she said to reporters after arriving in a bright red Cardinals shirt to greet families. "So, part of being an adult and part of learning to grow is how are we going to control the things we can control."

Many unknowns remain with COVID-19, including whether or not isolating large groups of people can effectively keep out the virus. As of Wednesday, both the NBA and NHL "bubbles" have existed for weeks without returning a single positive test. Meanwhile, entire MLB teams — which are traveling during their shortened season — have been shut down for periods due to outbreaks within clubhouses. Outside of sports, the United States still faces 1,000 deaths each day attributed to the virus. With states left to craft individual responses and mask-wearing being viewed as a political issue instead of a basic way to reduce spread, a timetable for resumption to normal life is still uncertain.

As a prominent member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Louisville athletics remain in limbo. On Monday, we asked Bendapudi if she could provide any update to the state of affairs.

"Nope!" she said simply.

Back at moving day, parent and student opinions leaned toward cautious optimism about the fate of the school year.

"We're excited for her, but we're wondering how many days it will be before they close down the dorms due to COVID," said Shelly Gibson, a mother helping her daughter, Emma Fridy, move in. "It's her choice and she's ready to move on campus. You can't stop that."

"I know they kept their dorms open when everything first started [in March] and they seemed like they had a control on it," said incoming freshman Ceanna Collins. "So I really think that they’re good and serious about sanitizing and keeping everything clean and keeping everyone healthy." Collins' grandfather said he too felt comfortable with Ceanna moving into her dorm.

Bendapudi said her administration is prepared to crack down on unsafe behavior, as these young adults try to distance themselves from the virus in what is supposed to be the most social time of their lives.