Pessimism grows in college football over season starting on time (update: it’s crumbling):

[huskymedic]

>>College athletics is bracing for the Ivy League’s decision regarding fall sports in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, an announcement that is expected to come down on Wednesday. Multiple football coaches in the Ivy League told The Athleticover the weekend that they expect Wednesday’s announcement to be that the league is moving all fall sports, including football, to spring 2021. The coaches spoke on the condition of anonymity because the conference has not announced its final decision.<<

>>Could the Ivy League’s decision regarding football be a harbinger of what’s to come at other levels once again? It’s possible. As one Power 5 administrator put it, a lot of university presidents — particularly those at top academic institutions in the Power 5 — consider Ivy League schools their peers. And they respect the level of research and expertise coming out of those campuses, as society at large waits for a COVID-19 vaccine.

“My suspicion is that the majority of presidents in the FBS are uncomfortable with the notion of playing football this fall but for various reasons don’t want to be the first to step out and say that,” the Power 5 administrator told The Athletic. “So, more than anything else, that decision provides the cover they need. I expect it’ll be a big domino.”<<

>>But despite the logistical challenges — and the financial hit so many athletic departments would take if they endured a fall without college football — decisions could still be made to prioritize public health above all else. “If we can do it safely, we can get past the inconveniences,” one Group of 5 athletic director said. “We stave off an entire year of no (college) sports.”<<

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Storrs South]

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Exit 4]

Side bar - this doesn't bode well for public k-12 schools either.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Johnny Mac]

... 2-3 tests per week during the season, which on the low end would cost $21,600 per week. Multiply that by the regular season’s 13 weeks and you get $280,800 — for football only. Ratchet up testing to three times a week, and the tab becomes $421,200 ..."

I don't know how a State can justify spending resources to test its university's football players but not the citizens that fund the university. I can't see that happening...even in the SEC. Without a broad test/trace program, you can't play football...and the citizens have to be prioritized over football players.

 

[huskypantz]

I don't know how a State can justify spending resources to test its university's football players but not the citizens that fund the university. I can't see that happening...even in the SEC. Without a broad test/trace program, you can't play football...and the citizens have to be prioritized over football players.

There was a great tweet today - if we're concerned enough about our professional/college athletes that we need to test daily, will we be doing the same for the children and teachers who return to school?

 

[Exit 4]

There was a great tweet today - if we're concerned enough about our professional/college athletes that we need to test daily, will we be doing the same for the children and teachers who return to school?

And with that, lets start talking about a spring schedule.

 

[phillionaire]

Michigan Football Chatter: Concerns Growing About 2020 Season | Sports Illustrated Michigan Wolverines News, Analysis and More

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

It just makes absolutely no sense to play college football this fall regardless of how much people “need” it.

 

[cohenzone]

It amazes me how many people don't understand how a virus spreads and what it takes to contain a spread absent a vaccine. We all want everything to be pre-virus, but its the square peg round hole thing. You can't wish or force a virus to stop spreading and of course it sucks. FWIW, I'm well connected to someone in the athletic ticket office and know they have regular conference calls. It's going to be a while before UConn, and I'm sure colleges and universities across the country, get back to anything resembling the good old days. Professors aren't keen on in person teaching right now. Sports are unlikely to be the tail wagging the dog.

 

[Pudge]

Money

The Southern Public State schools monetary Needs are far different than Ivy. The answer is money. And while UConn budget is challenging ... being a Mississippi with a loss of tens of millions that they plugged into the budget will lead to a different decision tree.

 

[pepband99]

Michigan Football Chatter: Concerns Growing About 2020 Season | Sports Illustrated Michigan Wolverines News, Analysis and More

This is fascinating! Essentially, an all-bus schedule. The mind wanders a bit if we end up having to do this...

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Money

The Southern Public State schools monetary Needs are far different than Ivy. The answer is money. And while UConn budget is challenging ... being a Mississippi with a loss of tens of millions that they plugged into the budget will lead to a different decision tree.

How much money will they make for one game with no fans and half the team contracts the virus and the season shuts down?

 

[DarthGrumpy]

It amazes me how many people don't understand how a virus spreads and what it takes to contain a spread absent a vaccine. We all want everything to be pre-virus, but its the square peg round hole thing. You can't wish or force a virus to stop spreading and of course it sucks. FWIW, I'm well connected to someone in the athletic ticket office and know they have regular conference calls. It's going to be a while before UConn, and I'm sure colleges and universities across the country, get back to anything resembling the good old days. Professors aren't keen on in person teaching right now. Sports are unlikely to be the tail wagging the dog.

In Atlanta, Georgia tech's staff appears to be a livid over the State's push to fully re-open college campuses in the fall while not requiring face masks, testing, etc. At a glance, it looks like politics are driving this decision and not science and health professionals (that latter being a tad ironic since the CDC is based not far away from Georgia Tech). No real surprise considering how that the Board of Regents is stacked with people picked by Governor Kemp, who infamously stated a few months ago that he did not know that people with Covid-19 that were asymptomatic could spread the virus.

'A Nightmare': Georgia Tech Faculty Push Back Against In-Person Reopening Plans

The University System of Georgia is holding in-person classes this fall, with no masks required. It's an anomaly among top public universities — and it will put people at risk, professors say.

www.npr.org

 

[Johnny Mac]

Money

Right. Harvard, where money is not a factor, said it's not safe to be on campus. Can't imagine it's safer at schools that need the money.

 

[billybud]

Neither did WHO,...back and forth on the virus...The WHO originally said last month that transmission from someone asymptomatic was rare....then reversed and said not yet determined.

 

[phillionaire]

This is fascinating! Essentially, an all-bus schedule. The mind wanders a bit if we end up having to do this...

An all bus schedule for us would be interesting, we’d get BC, Rutgers, temple, maybe buffalo and Syracuse? Have to think we’d play a few more FCS schools

 

[Guapo]

Money

The Southern Public State schools monetary Needs are far different than Ivy. The answer is money. And while UConn budget is challenging ... being a Mississippi with a loss of tens of millions that they plugged into the budget will lead to a different decision tree.

if I’m miss reading the point of your post, I apologize, but UConn is in much worse shape financially - both in terms of athletic budgets and academic monetary issues (i.e endowments etc) than any SEC school.

 

[freescooter]

This is fascinating! Essentially, an all-bus schedule. The mind wanders a bit if we end up having to do this...

Actually if we went that route it would not be awful. BC, Rutgers, Temple, Army, Buffalo, Syracuse, UMass. Maybe find one more like Navy or Pitt. All relatively close. A few longish bus rides but certainly doable. Organize 8 plus us to play 8 game schedule. And all in relatively “safe” states. I don’t advocate playing but if we are this is an approach that makes some sense.

 

[cohenzone]

In Atlanta, Georgia tech's staff appears to be a livid over the State's push to fully re-open college campuses int the fall and not to require face masks, testing, etc. At a glance, it looks like politics are driving this decision and not science and health professionals (that latter being a tad ironic since the CDC is based not far away from Georgia Tech). No real surprise considering how that the Board of Regents is stacked with people picked by Governor Kemp, who infamously stated a few months ago that he did not know that people with Covid-19 that were asymptomatic could spread the virus.

'A Nightmare': Georgia Tech Faculty Push Back Against In-Person Reopening Plans

The University System of Georgia is holding in-person classes this fall, with no masks required. It's an anomaly among top public universities — and it will put people at risk, professors say.

www.npr.org

These people are incredibly stupid. Kind of coincidentally, I’ve been watching a series about the 14th century massive bubonic plague that is known as the Black Death. Physicians back then were so well versed on how to handle it that many wore masks, not because they were on top of the problem, but because the masks were built like bird beaks and stuffed with flower petals because they believed sweet aromas kept the disease away. We have actual knowledge these days of how to try and contain an epidemic but we still, in our enlightened USA, have millions of people who react to an epidemic no better than a medieval peasant.

 

[Pudge]

if I’m miss reading the point of your post, I apologize, but UConn is in much worse shape financially - both in terms of athletic budgets and academic monetary issues (i.e endowments etc) than any SEC school.

Shrug

Mississippi is going to be ($50m) less ... and then Spring. The equivalent UConn loss is probably less than $10m. The University of Mississippi (Tennessee, Auburn, LSU, etc) major revenue driver is football.

Sure UConn is incredibly challenged in the last decade; the immediate hit will be the SEC & other Power 5. The 2020 year is about what the Power will do for today’s money.

 

[polycom]

If any of you are arguing that college players shouldn't get paid after this season when no students are on campus but players are required to come to campus. Know you are an awful human.