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

[coachcap]

I love football as much as anyone on this board BUT these are the facts:
1. There is currently no vaccine against COVID-19
2. The game is about people in close proximity to others. Social distancing is out the window.
3. More & more States are being added to the quarantine list
4. probably should be first on this list: COVID-19 kills people
As a health care professional, I opt for public safety over television dollars. If UCONN leads the way is cancelling its FBS season for safety reasons, in public perception its image will be enhanced, not tarnished.

 

[MrPDog]

I love football as much as anyone on this board BUT these are the facts:
1. There is currently no vaccine against COVID-19
2. The game is about people in close proximity to others. Social distancing is out the window.
3. More & more States are being added to the quarantine list
4. probably should be first on this list: COVID-19 kills people
As a health care professional, I opt for public safety over television dollars. If UCONN leads the way is cancelling its FBS season for safety reasons, in public perception its image will be enhanced, not tarnished.

With a heavy heart, I have to agree, coach

 

[Hoophound]

Trust me, they will use it to tarnish our football program. Fans of other programs will blame us when P5 schools start reversing course and cancelling. We should at least play a handful of games against independents or other schools that need a game.

 

[pepband99]

Trust me, they will use it to tarnish our football program. Fans of other programs will blame us when P5 schools start reversing course and cancelling. We should at least play a handful of games against independents or other schools that need a game.

Bingo. Look at the regions playing down this virus, and look where CFB fans and power are concentrated. We'll be seen as wussy yankee types.

@coachcap is totally reasonable here. The rest of the CFB universe isn't, at least most of it.

 

[huskyrob1]

I love football as much as anyone on this board BUT these are the facts:
1. There is currently no vaccine against COVID-19
2. The game is about people in close proximity to others. Social distancing is out the window.
3. More & more States are being added to the quarantine list
4. probably should be first on this list: COVID-19 kills people
As a health care professional, I opt for public safety over television dollars. If UCONN leads the way is cancelling its FBS season for safety reasons, in public perception its image will be enhanced, not tarnished.

Your points, #1 through #4, are certainly valid concerns for football, and at the same time if you think about it, those points also just as closely apply to basketball, yet people are gearing up for a basketball season. Lots of hypocrisy out there.

 

[billybud]

Yeah...a rational decision might be to not to play this season...for health and safety reasons.

But..you are also correct....some folks would say..."well, UConn isn't giving up that much. If it was basketball?"

There, rightly or wrongly, is a perception that UConn is a basketball school....

And shutting down just might be easier than scrambling to salvage a schedule.

 

[NEforceUConn]

Can’t be the first to cancel. Too many easy jokes at our expense given recent results

Correct. Just like the Christians you don’t want to be the first one entering the Coliseum.

 

[zls44]

Trust me, they will use it to tarnish our football program. Fans of other programs will blame us when P5 schools start reversing course and cancelling. We should at least play a handful of games against independents or other schools that need a game.

Who cares what JoeBlow8336 on Twitter thinks? Honestly, why do you care?

 

[buddy]

See if the ACC will throw us a bone. With all non conference games being cancelled LEt us play BC, Syracuse, Pitt, Virginia and ND that’s all not far travel distance. Maybe AAC let ls us get temple. There are options out there that could possibly happen. Or maybe let all indys not just ND get conference affiliation this year. I know there are a lot of people that want to see the plug get pulled on the program. However these kids have been working all quarantine and been back at school working. Let them play. I haven’t seen any positive results from the UConn camp. Not to mention come November Covid will more than likely disappear. To cancel the season over a virus that less than 2 percent of the country has gotten is absurd. LET THEM PLAY

I would not count on the ACC or the AAC. Only ND has the cache, and it is a great get for the ACC to have them as temporary football members. I don't think the virus will disappear by November. I do think a few football players will become infected, will need to quarantine, and the football season will be canceled or postponed to avoid lawsuits. Although the mortality in young people is low, the gigantic football lineman are at a much higher risk for serious, possibly fatal, illness and given their close proximity to the opponent are likely the highest risk of getting infected of all the players.

 

[Hoophound]

Who cares what JoeBlow8336 on Twitter thinks? Honestly, why do you care?

Because perception is reality. We need to stop being perceived as a pathetic football program.

 

[phillionaire]

Because perception is reality. We need to stop being perceived as a pathetic football program.

I would rather be seen as a pathetic football program than the one that had students suffer lifelong consequences from a virus but that’s just me.

 

[August_West]

Not to mention come November Covid will more than likely disappear

What?

 

[Hoophound]

I would rather be seen as a pathetic football program than the one that had students suffer lifelong consequences from a virus but that’s just me.

Oh, the drama. I’m talking about finding a way to play a few games against schools like UMass or Ball St that are in relatively low risk areas. If college football is having a season, we should really consider Playing a handful of games.

 

[mikeinmanila]

Because perception is reality. We need to stop being perceived as a pathetic football program.

How about we be viewed as the school that put its student athletes ahead of $$$$$$$$.... wouldn't that be novel

 

[businesslawyer]

Trust me, they will use it to tarnish our football program. Fans of other programs will blame us when P5 schools start reversing course and cancelling. We should at least play a handful of games against independents or other schools that need a game.

You're actually comparing the health of human beings and the risk of contributing to a public health crisis to the fear that fans of other programs will blame us for something? I'm speechless.

 

[Buffett10]

How about we be viewed as the school that put its student athletes ahead of $$$$$$$$.... wouldn't that be novel

No

 

[wheelerdog]

Who is UConn going to play?

 

[huskymedic]

Who is UConn going to play?

Not Ole' Miss

 

[Hoophound]

You're actually comparing the health of human beings and the risk of contributing to a public health crisis to the fear that fans of other programs will blame us for something? I'm speechless.

Best I can tell, you guys are in pretty good shape up there. My guess is if UConn doesn’t play football it is because it isn’t in a conference not because of the virus and safety. My point is, play a few games so the kids get what they came to UConn for.

 

[businesslawyer]

Best I can tell, you guys are in pretty good shape up there. My guess is if UConn doesn’t play football it is because it isn’t in a conference not because of the virus and safety. My point is, play a few games so the kids get what they came to UConn for.

I was not saying we shouldn't play. I was just saying that worrying about what other fanbases would think as part of the analysis is nuts.

 

[MustangMan]

I think a decision is coming early next week.., and I don’t think we will be playing..

You guys will probably have no choice unless you agree to play virtually all your games on the road.

The teams that might need a OOC game (which will predominantly be in the South) are not going to want to go on the road to play you when there are other options closer to them.

 

[Hoophound]

I was not saying we shouldn't play. I was just saying that worrying about what other fanbases would think as part of the analysis is nuts.

I wouldn’t call it nuts. ND is apparently flirting with the ACC again and the last thing we need to is shine a light on the attitude our state leaders take toward football. Let’s try to make football strong rather than a punchline. That starts with playing and winning games, not being first to pack it in for 2020. Especially, when we are in a state that is crushing it on beating COVID.

 

[RSTuthill]

If they can cobble together six games with pretesting of every player before every game they should go ahead and do it. Even if they have to do home and homes and a bye week between each game. Cancelling the season entirely would spell the hastening of the program's demise.

 

[HardFacts]

If they can cobble together six games with pretesting of every player before every game they should go ahead and do it. Even if they have to do home and homes and a bye week between each game. Cancelling the season entirely would spell the hastening of the program's demise.

Agree, no games no practice. Having played the game I know the players want to play. The people out there trying to say our guys should not play because that aren’t being paid don’t have a clue. The majority 99% come to UCONN to play the game! Not because the NFL is their goal. And once again the risk they run playing the game in normal times is greater than the virus! If this were 100 years ago life would be normal even 50 years ago. The daily coverage has made you all paranoid.