College Football 2020: Buzz about spring football season- “Expect news to break soon”

[brasssbonanzaa]

Pushing the start of the season to February and going from there makes it more feasible than trying in September. Starting February 6, you could get a full 13-game schedule, one bye and conference tournaments in by May 15. Bowls run May 22-first week of June. First round of playoffs on Memorial Day Weekend.

If they start in September the chance of having fans at the games is near zero. If they start in February, chances increase for regular season games and even more significantly for the postseason.

Or if they *really* wanted to get smart, scrap bowl season in May and run a 16-team tournament over four weeks. Watch those ratings skyrocket.

 

[freescooter]

Kansas State AD Gene Taylor outlines seven contingency plans for football season

>>...But there are several possibilities. Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor says the Big 12 is currently discussing seven primary options for the upcoming football season, and he outlined them during a conversation on Friday.

• Starting the season as scheduled in early September
• Starting the season in late September and ending games in December
• Starting the season in October and playing a conference-only schedule
• Starting the season in September and playing a conference-only schedule
• Waiting until 2021 and starting the season in January
• Waiting until 2021 and starting the season in March
• Splitting up the season with six games in the fall and six games in the spring

Taylor thinks all seven options are on the table right now, but he is more optimistic about certain plans than others. He said starting the season on time “is going to be a long shot.” He isn’t sure why teams would start the season in September and scrub all non-nonconference games. There would be many moving parts involved with a split season. And he thinks the idea of beginning the season in January is particularly far-fetched.<<

I’m not sure League games gets you much in the Big 10 or the ACC or PAC or AAC. Illinois Northwestern, both in hot zones. Michigan & Michigan State too. BC Virginia in the ACC . PAC might not be allowed to play in LA it’s prime location. Maybe not in Seattle. Just a nightmare.

 

[UCFBfan]

If they start in September the chance of having fans at the games is near zero. If they start in February, chances increase for regular season games and even more significantly for the postseason.

I'm not sure we see fans at games for a long time. My guess is late 2021 will be start of fans returning based on timeline of vaccine, possible return on COVID in fall, etc. So the start of the season will solely be based around when kids get back on campus. I'm not sure when that will be and I don't think admins do either. It's the same for K-12 right now. As a teacher we know we're going to the end of the year virtually but what September brings is such a mystery to all. What we do know, is that it won't be school as usual in the classroom. It will look a lot different. This is going to be the reality for college sports as well in terms of when they start, etc.

 

[freescooter]

At some point you have to ask if college sports serve any purpose if no students can go no band etc. And just to keep things in perspective UConn’s annual budget is $2.5 billion give or take. The Athletic department budget is +-$82,000,000 and that includes stuff like student recreation programs as well as intercollegiate athletics. So lots of critical decisions will take priority.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

I'm not sure we see fans at games for a long time. My guess is late 2021 will be start of fans returning based on timeline of vaccine, possible return on COVID in fall, etc. So the start of the season will solely be based around when kids get back on campus. I'm not sure when that will be and I don't think admins do either. It's the same for K-12 right now. As a teacher we know we're going to the end of the year virtually but what September brings is such a mystery to all. What we do know, is that it won't be school as usual in the classroom. It will look a lot different. This is going to be the reality for college sports as well in terms of when they start, etc.

Agreed. My point was if they want any chance at having fans, spring is the way to go. The chances go from something like 0.1% in the fall to 15-20% in the spring. Not to mention the possibility that numerous colleges don't allow students on campus in the fall which would be game over for any fall sports on that campus.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[huskymedic]

Intraconference college football an option in 2020 if leagues cannot align return-to-play timelines

With universities likely reopening at different times amid the coronavirus, a national season may be difficult

www.cbssports.com

>>Playing conference-only schedules has been an option on the table, though it was primarily under consideration if the start of the season needed to be delayed. It has been considered -- along with several other models -- since commissioners began conceptualizing a return to play shortly after the NCAA Tournament was canceled March 12.

That's why some FBS independents have spoken informally about playing a 2020 schedule among themselves if a full season isn't played due to the coronavirus, CBS Sports has learned.

The talks do not involve Notre Dame or BYU. The remaining FBS independents are Army West Point, Liberty, New Mexico State, UConn and UMass.

"Two weeks ago, we thought the conference-only schedule was a possibility, so we've been doing the same thing," Army AD Mike Buddie said. "We've already reached out to UConn, UMass, New Mexico State, Liberty and Notre Dame. They're all doing the same thing." Buddie said the calls to Notre Dame were in regard to future scheduling.

The possibility exists of playing other independents twice in a season. If those five independents played the other four twice, that would amount to eight games. (Liberty and New Mexico State played each other twice in 2019.)<<

Despite reports to the contrary, BYU officials say they are ‘in the mix’ of discussions to play the likes of Liberty, Army, UMass, UConn, NMSU and perhaps even Notre Dame if the coronavirus pandemic shortens season to only league games for conference-affiliated teams

>>In his April 25 piece, Dodd wrote that “the talks (among independents) do not involve Notre Dame or BYU.” Asked for some clarification, Dodd replied in an email that he was told “BYU wasn’t in the mix.”

Contacted Thursday, BYU’s Tittle said the Cougars’ athletic department leaders haven’t participated in any formal conference calls on the matter, but reiterated that BYU AD Tom Holmoe has been in close contact with almost all of the athletic directors of fellow independents recently.

“We’re in (the mix). Tom is always in contact with athletic directors all over the place as he tries to develop a full schedule,” Tittle said. “Tom has had individual conversations with some of them. … Just conversations on contingencies, like what they are thinking, what they are doing. We have taken the opportunity to reach out to some of them.”<<

 

[huskypantz]

I don't see any way that there is a college football season and Army and Navy don't play, regardless of the conference-only banter. If there is a season, they play.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Drew]

Despite reports to the contrary, BYU officials say they are ‘in the mix’ of discussions to play the likes of Liberty, Army, UMass, UConn, NMSU and perhaps even Notre Dame if the coronavirus pandemic shortens season to only league games for conference-affiliated teams

>>In his April 25 piece, Dodd wrote that “the talks (among independents) do not involve Notre Dame or BYU.” Asked for some clarification, Dodd replied in an email that he was told “BYU wasn’t in the mix.”

Contacted Thursday, BYU’s Tittle said the Cougars’ athletic department leaders haven’t participated in any formal conference calls on the matter, but reiterated that BYU AD Tom Holmoe has been in close contact with almost all of the athletic directors of fellow independents recently.

“We’re in (the mix). Tom is always in contact with athletic directors all over the place as he tries to develop a full schedule,” Tittle said. “Tom has had individual conversations with some of them. … Just conversations on contingencies, like what they are thinking, what they are doing. We have taken the opportunity to reach out to some of them.”<<

This is big

 

[billybud]

Syracuse AD....

Said Wildhack: "We have not, as a conference, had any discussions in terms of not playing. We want to play. We plan to play. What we don't know is when we're going to start and what form or what format we're going to start. Do you play with fans, do you not play with fans? So much is unknown, but the ADs and the conference office, we meet twice a week, and there's not been one second of conversation about not having a football season in some way, shape or form."

ACC hasn't discussed canceling football season, Syracuse AD says

abcnews.go.com

 

[billybud]

Maybe luckily, Notre Dame plays USC and the five ACC opponents in the second half of the season, from October 17 through November 28...

 

[freescooter]

Sounds to me like the SEC is playing even if it means leaving death and destruction behind. Big 10 and PAC will be more cautious and at the end of the day so will the ACC.

 

[UConnJim]

Sounds to me like the SEC is playing even if it means leaving death and destruction behind. Big 10 and PAC will be more cautious and at the end of the day so will the ACC.

I agree. But, I think you could see some conference schools play and some not as each state/school will make their own decision about opening in the fall, not each conference. Schools will figure out a schedule.

There is a historical precedence for not all conference schools playing. In 1943, some colleges played football and some did not:

SEC:
Played: Georgia Tech, Georgia, LSU, Tulane
Played a local exhibition schedule: Vanderbilt.
Did not play: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Ole Miss, Miss. St., Tennessee

Pac Coast Conference:
Played: Cal, UCLA, USC, Washington
Did not play: Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Oregon St., Stanford, Washington St.

Southwest Conference:
Played: Arkansas, Rice, SMU, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M,
Did not play: Baylor

Big 10:
All teams played.

Others:
Played: Notre Dame, Army, Navy, Penn St., Pitt, Villanova, Yale, Rutgers,
Did not play: BC, Syracuse, Michigan St., Harvard, UConn, UMass

As for bowl games, they improvised. The Rose Bowl pitted USC vs Washington instead of a Pac school against an Eastern school. (Big 10 did not go to the Rose Bowl until 1947.) The Cotton Bowl was Texas vs Randolph Field Wranglers, a military base team.

The bottom line is that most schools can not afford to shut down campus this fall as the financial hit is big. Thus, schools will do everything in their power to return to campus in the fall. The only exceptions may be the schools in the hardest hit states like NY, NJ, and CT.

 

[billybud]

the 1942 Rose Bowl, played in Durham, featured Duke vs Oregon State...

 

[huskymedic]

 

[huskymedic]

Damn the torpedos:

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Husky25]

I want to go to and watch live college football in the near future as much as the next fan, but is this really the optics the NCAA wants? These players will be quarantined for no less than 5 months and get virtually nothing in return for their sacrifice.

 

[DAC17]

Can we all just admit that this has nothing to do with the players and everything to do with all the “adults” surrounding them who can be making money hand over fist?? We all know where the NCAA’s bread is buttered!

 

[billybud]

Maybe...there could be some good to come from this....conferences could implement a temporary realignment that could become a precursor.

1...Boston College might forgo a season and then decide to just pack it in rather than continue a program.

2...Or Syracuse....maybe they could once again play basketball in the BE.

3...Maybe the ACC could realign North-South to a more regional approach.

4...Maybe Ohio State will forgo a season allowing Michigan to win.

5...Maybe FSU could show up at the SEC preseason AD's meeting acting like they belonged there (it worked for me at college parties).

6...Maybe Notre Dame will tell the ACC to forget their five games, they are scheduling indy...FSU tells the ACC.."ooh, that's a precedent we also may like..goose, gander and all that."

 

[huskymedic]

16:00 minute discussion - the possible “what-ifs” make my protocol/algorithm driven head spin.

 

[huskymedic]

Stewart Mandel @slmandel 21m
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown's comment today (1/2) "There is some difficult news to share. Large gatherings, including live sporting events with audiences, concerts, festivals, and conventions will not be able to return until we have a reliable treatment or prevention like a vaccine."

Stewart Mandel @slmandel 18m
This is largely the same language California Gov. Gavin Newsom used re: live sporting events with fans, when announcing the state's "stages" for reopening, but there was no specific date.

Stewart Mandel @slmandel 18m
As Larry Scott said in our story earlier this week, resuming football and resuming football with fans are two different decisions. One will be made by schools/conferences, the other by states/health authorities.

 

[billybud]

Without fans...there will be monetary losses..

Programs already teetering on the edge with lower media money could drop football. The loss of ticket, parking, and concession revenue combined with lower booster contributions, could be a back breaker.

 

[huskymedic]