FB: American Rivers Conference

[wally_wabash]

Loras is pushing back their fall camp.

Isn't there some sort of formula for when fall camp can begin?  Some sort of combination of 1st day of classes and when your 1st game is?  If schools are getting their non-con games cancelled that would make sense their fall camp would start later as well.  But like usual, I am probably way off here.

That is generally the case, but this year the NCAA has said schools can start organized activities for fall sports on Aug. 10 regardless of when their first competition date is. 

This may be moot if the Board of Governors adopts the DIII Management Council's recommendation to suspend the fall championships today. 

[doolittledog]

We might end up the last D3 conference playing fall football.  With the low covid numbers in Iowa, plus the fact our high schools are playing fall sports, I am in favor of this. 

[hazzben]

We might end up the last D3 conference playing fall football.  With the low covid numbers in Iowa, plus the fact our high schools are playing fall sports, I am in favor of this.

Not sure what this would mean for eligibility. But assuming the rest of d3 shuts it down, are the ARC teams willing to burn the year for a season with no postseason? I think it makes sense for most teams. Players and teams with post-season aspirations might view that differently though. 2020 is just so freaking weird, what a weird convo and set of questions to even consider!

[doolittledog]

We might end up the last D3 conference playing fall football.  With the low covid numbers in Iowa, plus the fact our high schools are playing fall sports, I am in favor of this.

Not sure what this would mean for eligibility. But assuming the rest of d3 shuts it down, are the ARC teams willing to burn the year for a season with no postseason? I think it makes sense for most teams. Players and teams with post-season aspirations might view that differently though. 2020 is just so freaking weird, what a weird convo and set of questions to even consider!

Very weird indeed.  And questions most of us have no idea how to answer.   

What percentage of D3 athletes do you think will stick around for an extra year?  50%?  More? Less?  I really have no idea.  I get your argument about post season play.  I'm too old to have an idea what the athletes mindset would be.  From the few Dubuque athletes I saw interviewed.  A few chose to start grad school now (those were spring athletes) and take that opportunity to play one more season.  Most of them said they were graduating and starting their adult life with a new job and their athletics career was over. 

Schools have to weigh the positives and the negatives.  For me, I see that Iowa pretty much opened their economy back up in early May, and athletics came back at the start of June and our positive cases and deaths have declined.  But these are decisions for people farther up the pay scale than me. 

[crufootball]

We might end up the last D3 conference playing fall football.  With the low covid numbers in Iowa, plus the fact our high schools are playing fall sports, I am in favor of this.

Not sure what this would mean for eligibility. But assuming the rest of d3 shuts it down, are the ARC teams willing to burn the year for a season with no postseason? I think it makes sense for most teams. Players and teams with post-season aspirations might view that differently though. 2020 is just so freaking weird, what a weird convo and set of questions to even consider!

Very weird indeed.  And questions most of us have no idea how to answer.   

What percentage of D3 athletes do you think will stick around for an extra year?  50%?  More? Less?  I really have no idea.  I get your argument about post season play.  I'm too old to have an idea what the athletes mindset would be.  From the few Dubuque athletes I saw interviewed.  A few chose to start grad school now (those were spring athletes) and take that opportunity to play one more season.  Most of them said they were graduating and starting their adult life with a new job and their athletics career was over. 

Schools have to weigh the positives and the negatives.  For me, I see that Iowa pretty much opened their economy back up in early May, and athletics came back at the start of June and our positive cases and deaths have declined.  But these are decisions for people farther up the pay scale than me.

I can't seem to locate a good 4 year graduation rate for D3 athletes, has anyone seen anything on that lately? One positive for Fall athletes is they don't have to stick around for a full extra year so if they were going to take a 5th year victory lap anyway they could do so while finishing their last season.

As a UMHB fan I am bummed we won't get to see the Simpson guys in a couple of months but hopefully we still get to do the games with you guys in the future.

[Outside the Crate]

I'm curious what people are hearing from and about their colleges.  The word on the street in Waverly is that Wartburg's admission team blew by all their goal numbers and expect a full house this fall.  Given the pandemic, and reports from the Regent universities, I'm surprised but very pleased by the news.

[MediaGuy]

We might end up the last D3 conference playing fall football.  With the low covid numbers in Iowa, plus the fact our high schools are playing fall sports, I am in favor of this.

Not sure what this would mean for eligibility. But assuming the rest of d3 shuts it down, are the ARC teams willing to burn the year for a season with no postseason? I think it makes sense for most teams. Players and teams with post-season aspirations might view that differently though. 2020 is just so freaking weird, what a weird convo and set of questions to even consider!

I have heard that the ARC is planning a 5 game season, over a 7-8 week period to allow for team shutdowns for localized outbreaks.  There is also talk of scheduling minimal travel to cut down on expenses and minimize the chances of taking an outbreak to other regions of the state i.e  Storm Lake to Dubuque.  If this plays out, it won't count as a year of eligibility.

[Schipper Strong]

The schools will play up to 5 games and all players will be eligible for another full year. I was so looking forward to this year with Hawkins in his senior season. Sure hope he comes back for a fifth year and many of his teammates who are seniors.

[Schipper Strong]

Central has three softball players coming back to play their senior season and that is a spring sport. At least football you can play in the semester following the normal end of your 4 years.

[5 Words or Less]

ARC's commissioner discusses fall sports

https://youtu.be/EMb6DVUYcx4

[doolittledog]

ARC's commissioner discusses fall sports

https://youtu.be/EMb6DVUYcx4

Thanks for sharing that video!

It sounded like maybe the schools are more on board with starting fall sports than possibly the commissioner is. 
I think we still need to hold our breath that this will actually happen.
Sounds like a fluid situation as to whether games will have fans in the stands or empty stadiums.
If the UMAC keeps playing it sounds like there is a possibility some ARC schools would consider scheduling some non-con games to supplement the schedule. 

I should probably give it another listen as I was doing some work while the video was playing in the background.

[Schipper Strong]

I can't believe I am saying this as someone who went to all but maybe 5 games over a period of probably 30 years, including playoff games wherever they were, but I think they should cancel the season. If there are only 5 games, no playoffs, possibly no fans to cheer you on in the stands, it isn't worth the risk. These are young healthy men and I would prefer they stay that way. Most might not even notice they have it, but some might develop scar tissue on their lungs for life, some could die. Maybe this is where my gender comes into play, but It isn't worth the risk. This is the year I was dreaming of, the year Central might have made a nice playoff run. Hawkins already set nearly every Central College passing record and could set them all out of reach for decades with his senior year, still not worth it. In addition to themselves, the entire student body, could get exposed because we wanted football so desperately and some of those students may be at greater risk. Iowa is one of the 21 states with dramatically increasing case loads. Time to put the students' health first.

[doolittledog]

I can't believe I am saying this as someone who went to all but maybe 5 games over a period of probably 30 years, including playoff games wherever they were, but I think they should cancel the season. If there are only 5 games, no playoffs, possibly no fans to cheer you on in the stands, it isn't worth the risk. These are young healthy men and I would prefer they stay that way. Most might not even notice they have it, but some might develop scar tissue on their lungs for life, some could die. Maybe this is where my gender comes into play, but It isn't worth the risk. This is the year I was dreaming of, the year Central might have made a nice playoff run. Hawkins already set nearly every Central College passing record and could set them all out of reach for decades with his senior year, still not worth it. In addition to themselves, the entire student body, could get exposed because we wanted football so desperately and some of those students may be at greater risk. Iowa is one of the 21 states with dramatically increasing case loads. Time to put the students' health first.

I saw that article on my home page saying Iowa was one of 21 states spiking. 

I don't see that in this data though.  https://coronavirus.iowa.gov/#CurrentStatus

[Pat Coleman]

I'm no data scientist but on that page I see peaks in the trend line on the 18th and 21st, with recovery since then and what seems to be a small bounceback today that is too soon to be a trend one way or the other.

[hazzben]

I'm no data scientist but ...

... I did stay at a Holidy Inn Express last night.

Sorry, couldn't resist. Carry on