How Altered Academic Calendars Could Impact Winter College Athletics

[huskymedic]

>>Basketball faces a bigger challenge. Its season is just cranking up in late November, with a host of marquee tournaments and neutral-site games clustered around Thanksgiving and many more to follow in the first half of December. Attendance already is quite likely to be limited, but imagining a Big Ten/ACC Challenge played at campus sites with almost no students (other than the ones in uniform) is sobering.

So, should the games even be played at schools that are going on a six-week (minimum) lockdown by Nov. 25? Or should football and basketball shut down during that time, too?<<

>>Gavitt declined to discuss some of the ideas being floated, but here is one—a delayed start to a conference-only schedule. That sort of season could probably launch as late as January and still include a full slate of league games. Several coaches and administrators mentioned that to Sports Illustrated on Monday as a possibility.

Such a plan would have its drawbacks. Among them:

• College basketball would lose a ton of non-conference games that elevate early-season fan interest and go a long way toward establishing NCAA tournament credentials. Analytics systems such as the NCAA NET Ratings, which have become increasingly accurate (and important) tools for selecting and seeding tournament teams, would have little to go on.<<

 

[upstater]

Hate to be an administrator hoping against hope that one of his athletes doesn't get sick, or even an entire team. This is just going to be mind boggling.

 

[bendm]

curious how much liability schools and the ncaa can contractually limit here. as deep pockets they are obvious targets. these institutions cannot expose themselves to lawsuits from student athletes that get sick. can they require that student athletes sign a waiver in order to play? if the student chooses not to sign they need to sit out.

it would be hard to actually link playing/traveling to contracting the virus, as opposed to attending classes (unless an entire team gets it), but it wont stop suits from being filed in the first place.

does the ncaa have to take a different approach then the schools? i have no idea

 

[auror]

If it ends up being a conference only schedule, getting into the Big East for this season would end up being a real coup.

 

[freescooter]

I like it. College football ends at Thanksgiving with 10 games and basketball starts After Jan 1. Play 20 games mostly local. No conference tournament. Best team over a season goes to the NCAA.

 

[freescooter]

Hate to be an administrator hoping against hope that one of his athletes doesn't get sick, or even an entire team. This is just going to be mind boggling.

Upstate can you imagine if Sabin got sick. Or a team comes down wi5h it after its game. So both teams are quarenteened for the next 2 weeks. What does that do to both teams and their opponents’ seasons?

 

[upstater]

Upstate can you imagine if Sabin got sick. Or a team comes down wi5h it after its game. So both teams are quarenteened for the next 2 weeks. What does that do to both teams and their opponents’ seasons?

Students will be in classes and can get sick there. Students will participate in recreational activities and they can get sick there. But the ADs and coaches are making millions of dollars. The optics from an athlete getting sick in a big revenue producing sport? That would be the concern of administration. There's a difference there.