Big East Considering Bubble

[superjohn]

The players already miss a ton of class and have tutors, etc. It would honestly not be that different academically.

Throw in the virtual aspect of many colleges around the country and there's very little argument against on the academic side.

The social side is another story, but that would be up to the players to weigh the pros and cons of playing vs. social life and decide to opt in. I imagine the overwhelming majority would opt in, as they already sacrifice a lot socially to play (summers on campus, curfews on game nights, etc.), live much of their lives online as it is, and would be able to still interact with teammates and coaches.

Exactly, some of the messages in this thread are really strange.

 

[CL82]

Somebody mentioned Mohegan Sun. Not sure how the NCAA would feel about that.

I doubt they’d mind it. The American has been hosting a women’s basketball conference there for years in the Big East just picked it as venue for the women’s tournament. I feel as if the American men may have had a tournament there as well. It’s a great venue for “the bubble.”

 

[HuskyHawk]

I doubt they’d mind it. The American has been hosting a women’s basketball conference there for years in the Big East just picked it as venue for the women’s tournament. I feel as if the American men may have had a tournament there as well. It’s a great venue for “the bubble.”

I wasn’t worried about it for a game or tournament, but kids living at a casino?

 

[CL82]

I wasn’t worried about it for a game or tournament, but kids living at a casino?

Well I think they’d be living in the one of the hotels, not the casino. It has food options, lodging and conference rooms for all the teams.

 

[Lynyrd]

 

[HeGotGame]

Yeah this, the NBA bubble is a ticking time bomb.

Yes, with their zero positive tests and player compliance once the games started.

You can root for failure, but saying its coming with no facts is............

 

[Watchdog]

I wasn’t worried about it for a game or tournament, but kids living at a casino?

Sounds like a bunch of crap to me.

 

[TyroneShoo]

Milwaukee would be a good bubble spot.. two adjacent arenas, a convention center, hotels, w skywalks all right there in one downtown area

 

[nickp91]

The logical bubble location is Wintrust Marriott Marquis connects to the arena McCormick Place for practices

 

[HooperScooper]

Where would the bubble be? Hard to say, but while Madison Square Garden would seem to be a natural choice, don’t bet on it. In theory, the NBA and NHL could be playing at that point, as well, making scheduling a mess. And the league would seem to need an area where there are multiple courts to use, though perhaps that’s not an absolute necessity.

Plus, even though New York City has significantly reduced its COVID numbers, is it the best place to sequester?

Analysis: Could a bubble work for Big East basketball?

The Big East is considering playing basketball games in a ‘bubble’ this season,...

www.ctinsider.com

For those with Register access: Analysis: Could a bubble work for Big East basketball?

 

[XLCenterFan]

@Lynyrd just told us his intelligence level

I'm all for the bubble. Been suggesting it for months now. XL Center would take the revenue - we know they need it. Compress the schedule. All BE teams can stay at the Hilton, take classes remotely, and could walk to games through the skywalk.

The NBA has shown us it can be done, and it is likely the only way for now. I'll be kissing my season tix goodbye for this year (or rolling them into the next season).

 

[temery]

Sorry, but anyone who thinks a bubble is going to keep college kids from being college kids, is delusional. Having it at a casino as some suggest, is even more moronic - that's the worst place to be.

Have the season. Don't have the season. But this bubble idea is absurd.

 

[Samoo]

So what you're telling me is college kids, who are mini celebrities on campus, are really going to sequester themselves from the rest of the world so they can play basketball for free?

Yeah sure. And I've got a big beautiful wall down south for sale if anyone's interested.

It just blew over, no thanks...

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

Mohegan Sun sounds like a good fit, got the hotel right there, assume there's a passage that goes directly to the arena?

Unfortunately that place is a bubble for coronavirus.

 

[gampelcrazies]

Unfortunately that place is a bubble for coronavirus.

I’ve been a couple times recently. It’s probably safest place to do it.

 

[UKemba15]

Unless of course you went with the “overlapping bubble”
View attachment 57358

This is getting into some pretty advanced Bubble Theory.

 

[Lefty2one]

A bubble can work though it's much more challenging at the college level due to the financial aspect of it. The NBA has shown us it can work, the NHL too. If you can get spoiled millionaire professionals who don't want to listen to anyone to abide by bubble protocol then you can get college athletes to do so. College coaches have much more control over players than NBA organizations do.

I am willing to bet that college kids will be eager to follow bubble protocol if it means being able to play the season. Just like with NBA players, I'm sure every college player misses playing and wants to get back on the court. They'll make sacrifices if it means playing again. The rules have to be strict, as with the NBA. Confined to their hotel, remote learning, each day planned out, only travel will be on team buses. If players are caught violating protocol they quarantine for 10-14 days or hell, make it a zero-tolerance policy: you get caught, you go home.

My crazy idea is to have it in Storrs. Play games at the two practice facilities courts plus Gampel. You can play three games at a time on a staggered schedule and have everyone play the same night. Practice scheduling will be more challenging. Put all of the teams in a dorm (assuming UConn isn't full-time on campus and there's ample room) to save money. I will admit that enforcing a bubble will be much more difficult if even half of the student body is on campus. Officials are also a big concern. Getting them to agree to stay in a bubble the entire time, only working two days a week, away from their home and family--that'd cost a fortune to get anyone to agree to it.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

I’ve been a couple times recently. It’s probably safest place to do it.

I have been as well recently and I felt pretty safe, but I’m not sure how you can call it the safest place when it’s literally an indoor gathering of people all over the state who generally don’t care about their wellbeing. Also the fact there was an outbreak of covid recently among the staff.

 

[XLCenterFan]

I just hope that if there is a bubble, UConn won't be on the bubble.

 

[Ratso]

Atlantis would work for me if I was a kid...

that or MSG, i like the way you guys think

 

[HitDog]

A bubble can work though it's much more challenging at the college level due to the financial aspect of it. The NBA has shown us it can work, the NHL too. If you can get spoiled millionaire professionals who don't want to listen to anyone to abide by bubble protocol then you can get college athletes to do so. College coaches have much more control over players than NBA organizations do.

I am willing to bet that college kids will be eager to follow bubble protocol if it means being able to play the season. Just like with NBA players, I'm sure every college player misses playing and wants to get back on the court. They'll make sacrifices if it means playing again. The rules have to be strict, as with the NBA. Confined to their hotel, remote learning, each day planned out, only travel will be on team buses. If players are caught violating protocol they quarantine for 10-14 days or hell, make it a zero-tolerance policy: you get caught, you go home.

My crazy idea is to have it in Storrs. Play games at the two practice facilities courts plus Gampel. You can play three games at a time on a staggered schedule and have everyone play the same night. Practice scheduling will be more challenging. Put all of the teams in a dorm (assuming UConn isn't full-time on campus and there's ample room) to save money. I will admit that enforcing a bubble will be much more difficult if even half of the student body is on campus. Officials are also a big concern. Getting them to agree to stay in a bubble the entire time, only working two days a week, away from their home and family--that'd cost a fortune to get anyone to agree to it.

Are you including the 11 women’s teams in this bubble?

 

[Dogdeacon]

I have been as well recently and I felt pretty safe, but I’m not sure how you can call it the safest place when it’s literally an indoor gathering of people all over the state who generally don’t care about their wellbeing. Also the fact there was an outbreak of covid recently among the staff.

What exactly does it mean to feel safe? I mean the coronavirus isn't walking around casinos with a weapon. I think we can all do our best to feel safer in situations based on personal precautions, but we are simply very unlikely to feel whether the virus is present.

I have felt more uneasy at places taking extreme precautions (i.e. order & pay by phone, contactless pickup) and then felt more at ease in less strict businesses. In summation, to add to what RayIG smartly points out if you feel safe in an indoor gathering of people from all over the state who generally don't care about their well-being, then you are unlikely to be on the selection committee for the imaginary college basketball bubble.

 

[formerlurker]

So what you're telling me is college kids, who are mini celebrities on campus, are really going to sequester themselves from the rest of the world so they can play basketball for free?

Yeah sure. And I've got a big beautiful wall down south for sale if anyone's interested.

You can still have an active social life in a bubble.

 

[CL82]

A bubble can work though it's much more challenging at the college level due to the financial aspect of it. The NBA has shown us it can work, the NHL too. If you can get spoiled millionaire professionals who don't want to listen to anyone to abide by bubble protocol then you can get college athletes to do so. College coaches have much more control over players than NBA organizations do.

I am willing to bet that college kids will be eager to follow bubble protocol if it means being able to play the season. Just like with NBA players, I'm sure every college player misses playing and wants to get back on the court. They'll make sacrifices if it means playing again. The rules have to be strict, as with the NBA. Confined to their hotel, remote learning, each day planned out, only travel will be on team buses. If players are caught violating protocol they quarantine for 10-14 days or hell, make it a zero-tolerance policy: you get caught, you go home.

My crazy idea is to have it in Storrs. Play games at the two practice facilities courts plus Gampel. You can play three games at a time on a staggered schedule and have everyone play the same night. Practice scheduling will be more challenging. Put all of the teams in a dorm (assuming UConn isn't full-time on campus and there's ample room) to save money. I will admit that enforcing a bubble will be much more difficult if even half of the student body is on campus. Officials are also a big concern. Getting them to agree to stay in a bubble the entire time, only working two days a week, away from their home and family--that'd cost a fortune to get anyone to agree to it.

Playing games at Werth just reeks of AAU ball, but playing games at Gampel, Mohegan Sun and the XL Center would work. Plenty of rooms between stores and Mohican Sun.

 

[Lefty2one]

Playing games at Werth just reeks of AAU ball, but playing games at Gampel, Mohegan Sun and the XL Center would work. Plenty of rooms between stores and Mohican Sun.

Well the NBA is playing at the Milk House, literally the national championship site for AAU (or at least it used to be). I don't see why arena size matters with no fans.