UConn: Cancelling 2020 Season An Option? (Updated 8/5 to yes)

[Slick]

Challenges exist (not insurmountable but steep challenges nonetheless). Obviously a very recent conversation.

UVa football: Cavaliers' shuffled schedule includes challenging road tests

>>The coach of the other September home opponent is skeptical his team will still be making its trip to Charlottesville.

“Oh, man, what a mess,” UConn head football coach Randy Edsall said Wednesday. “The problem [for us] is, the state of Virginia is on a list; if we went down there, we’d have to quarantine if we go and come back.”

Connecticut athletic director David Benedict received an email Wednesday from Virginia administrator Jim Booz that listed requirements with which UConn would have to concur before playing at UVa.

“Right now, they can’t even tell you when you’re going to play,” said Edsall, noting that the original date was no longer set.

“Are we going to be able to shower in there? We can’t even use our own locker room in [Connecticut] right now. Every state is different in terms of what you can do right now.“We knew this was coming down the pike.”

When one of Connecticut’s players had COVID-19 symptoms, seven players who had been in his vicinity were quarantined. “It’s taken 10 days to get a test back now,” Edsall said. “We had a walk-through out there the other day, and we had eight offensive linemen. You can’t even practice with eight offensive linemen. It’s taking 10 to 12 days to get a test back right now.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen [as far as a season], but I don’t see it. Right now, they’re not giving dates out. How do you prepare for anything like that?”<<

Why haven't any of the Conn Sports writers reported that Uconn is not even using their own Locker room,showers etc? Also they had a walk though and 8 offensive linemen couldn'tPractice?? And we are reading it in a Virginia Newspaper? Gavin,Alex,D Borges,Neil where are you guys??

 

[huskymedic]

Why haven't any of the Conn Sports writers reported that Uconn is not even using their own Locker room,showers etc? Also they had a walk though and 8 offensive linemen couldn'tPractice?? And we are reading it in a Virginia Newspaper? Gavin,Alex,D Borges,Neil where are you guys??

Get your point but read that again...

“When one of Connecticut’s players had COVID-19 symptoms, seven players who had been in his vicinity were quarantined. “It’s taken 10 days to get a test back now,” Edsall said. “We had a walk-through out there the other day, and we had eight offensive linemen. You can’t even practice with eight offensive linemen. It’s taking 10 to 12 days to get a test back right now.<<

 

[billybud]

Why 10 days to get a test back?

I can see some program's problems with the season if they have that length of test lag...

 

[billybud]

Students have a 10 day test lag as well?

 

[huskymedic]

Students have a 10 day test lag as well?

The general student body isn’t on campus till mid-August.(Resident Hall Move in begins Aug 14 where they will be tested on arrival.)

 

[RSTuthill]

At the end of June I got a test back at UConn Health in a bit more than a day. Jackson Labs. I guess things have gone to hell now that reagents and swabs are in short supply again? I had not heard that CT had got that bad.

 

[buddy]

Sooo...if covid is around for basketball...will the Big East cancel? It is tougher to cancel the primary sport...$$$$ or not.

I do think the Big East would cancel if corona poses a threat. That was established last year before the virus was widespread in the nation.

 

[buddy]

Now, I understand there are rumblings that the B1G may likely cancel its football season

 

[billybud]

I think that I can see some conference's difficulty with Covid testing...

The general student body isn’t on campus till mid-August.

And do you think that test lag times will be down in a couple of weeks?

 

[Exit 4]

Now, I understand there are rumblings that the B1G may likely cancel its football season

Who ever cancels last is national champ.

 

[billybud]

ACC test requirements for football...if you do not have a PCR lab on campus...hard to comply.

The test must be administered within three (3) calendar days of the day of competition (e.g., Wednesday test prior to a Saturday game).

At the present time, the medically appropriate weekly test for all sports shall be molecular (PCR) testing with an FDA approval .

The members of the football team include all student-athletes, countable coaches, and any support staff member that is in regular, in-person close contact with student-athletes, as determined by the institution. These support staff members may include, but are not limited to, medical care providers (e.g., athletic trainers, team physicians, nutritionists,

 

[CL82]

Sooo...if covid is around for basketball...will the Big East cancel? It is tougher to cancel the primary sport...$$$$ or not.

If I were to guess, I think BB will delay the start, in anticipation of a vaccine, which will reduce, but not eliminate the threat. Then again, I though delaying football until the Spring was a sure thing. It's more of timing thing than a sport thing. (Although it is tough to imagine that linemen wouldn't pass the disease pretty readily.)

 

[RSTuthill]

So we don’t play and players go about their life outside football! Go to a party, BLM rally or just to class and contract covid 19! So how did we protect them.

Now you are speaking to the question of whether or not the students should be on campus this fall.

 

[CL82]

Get your point but read that again...

“When one of Connecticut’s players had COVID-19 symptoms, seven players who had been in his vicinity were quarantined. “It’s taken 10 days to get a test back now,” Edsall said. “We had a walk-through out there the other day, and we had eight offensive linemen. You can’t even practice with eight offensive linemen. It’s taking 10 to 12 days to get a test back right now.<<

Gaming this would seem to be the key to having a shot at a season and keeping players as safe as possible. Test frequently and make a deal with a lab to guarantee # of tests in exchange for a fast turnaround.

 

[billybud]

Basketball would be more difficult for constant testing/monitoring since there is not always a week spacing between games

 

[billybud]

If I were to guess, I think BB will delay the start, in anticipation of a vaccine, which will reduce, but not eliminate the threat. Then again, I though delaying football until the Spring was a sure thing. It's more of timing thing than a sport thing. (Although it is tough to imagine that linemen wouldn't pass the disease pretty readily.)

Oh yeah, football linemen are in close contact... like basketball players...they will breathe near the opponent...I guess you could go to the old UNC four corner game and maintain six foot spacing.

 

[huskymedic]

Now, I understand there are rumblings that the B1G may likely cancel its football season

Conference letter talking about it is posted in B1G thread.

 

[UCFBfan]

Sooo...if covid is around for basketball...will the Big East cancel? It is tougher to cancel the primary sport...$$$$ or not.

Not sure it's realistic but if they really wanted to, they could follow the NBA model of a bubble. It's waaaay more complex and harder but if classes are virtual anyway, why not? The problem is that these are 18-22 year old kids. If adults can't help themselves from leaving the bubble, good luck keeping college kids in!

 

[UCFBfan]

Now there is this....

Big Ten to teams: You 'cannot proceed with preseason camp until we are certain that we can do so safely'

The conference said that it was hopeful that the 2020 season would be played but that it was also not a guarantee.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[Exit 4]

Now there is this....

Big Ten to teams: You 'cannot proceed with preseason camp until we are certain that we can do so safely'

The conference said that it was hopeful that the 2020 season would be played but that it was also not a guarantee.

sports.yahoo.com

Fair or not, B1G fan zealots will blame their season's demise on Rutty and its dirty locker room. Ha.

 

[Watchdog]

FIFY.

Well thought out points by a Computer Sciences Prof. at U of Illinois (supported by an Infectious Disease specialist at UAB) regarding the likelihood of infections and projected number of deaths among college football players:

Coronavirus in college football: Hospitalizations, deaths projected by data analysts if FBS plays in 2020

COVID-19 does not discriminate, and young athletes are not immune to complications

www.cbssports.com

 

[Ajs120102]

Let’s be real. Like baseball, football will try to play and end up cancelling after a few games max. I don’t see the point in UConn playing maybe 6-8 games.

 

[hank970]

It's naive to assume that it would be safe to play only other independents or in parts of the country that aren't current hotspots. Start mixing it up in such places, increase your exposure and that of your opponents, infection rates will begin to rise again, and the schools that flouted common sense will get the blame. Best to bag the entire season and start anew when/if there's a Covid-19 vaccine and effective therapies. And don't worry about public perception of UConn's football program. Those negative impressions formed when UConn decided to leave the AAC, and they persist. Playing a couple of football games before being obliged to shut down again isn't going to change them.

 

[EASTFLA]

ACC test requirements for football...if you do not have a PCR lab on campus...hard to comply.

The test must be administered within three (3) calendar days of the day of competition (e.g., Wednesday test prior to a Saturday game).

At the present time, the medically appropriate weekly test for all sports shall be molecular (PCR) testing with an FDA approval .

The members of the football team include all student-athletes, countable coaches, and any support staff member that is in regular, in-person close contact with student-athletes, as determined by the institution. These support staff members may include, but are not limited to, medical care providers (e.g., athletic trainers, team physicians, nutritionists,

So what happens to a team testing on Wednesday for a Saturday game, and the test takes 7-10 days to come back? The obvious answer is, there is no game. Time to shut this all down. It has a zero chance of working because the goal posts keep moving, and the rules in each state and conference are all different. You can't operate with 50 different sets of rules. Plus, at this point our schedule is in shambles.

 

[billybud]

If all conference's programs instituted the ACC stringent testing rules for teams...the risks in playing would be lessened...

In fact..the athletes with that constant testing may be safer than the average on campus student....