FB: Liberty League

[Jonny Utah]

If the NCAA grants another year of eligibility (similar to Spring athletes), then the student athletes could go the Grad student route (similar to Joe G last year), or take a class or two (perhaps even online classes?).  Of course, the athletes would have to cover the cost of tuition, and room/board for another semester.  I wonder how this would affect the job prospects for the graduates.  Business guys, would hiring in the winter be a detriment to the job applicant?

Given the likely state of the economy in the end of 2020 and beginning of 2021, earning a graduate degree might be a productive use of time. We saw this in the last recession. Rather than fight for limited jobs, go for extra qualifications if you have the means. Then when the economy improves, you will be starting from a higher base. It's an expensive trade-off, and I certainly wouldn't recommend simply paying for extra classes and not getting a degree just to play another season of football, that is not a wise financial decision, but lots of students in both 2002-2005 and 2009-2012 time frames did well staying in school for a graduate degree versus entering an unstable job market.

I stayed an extra semester in college (red shirt injury) and was able to get a double major out of it (2nd Spanish major only required 36 credits of actual Spanish and the other credits were either electives or general humanities classes that I had already taken).  If you are able to plan it ahead of time, you might be able to do this with certain majors.  You lose 6 months of "work" I guess, and you obviously are paying "full time" tuition.

I believe students have 5 years of eligibility (5 years to play 4 seasons of football) so if the season is cancelled I'm not sure you would need the NCAA to make a waiver if the player wanted to return and play the next fall semester?  I believe that is what Joe G. did anyway.  But however it works grad school might be a good route, and I think you might see a lot of tuition prices drop as well, and other costs associated with the high price of education at that level.

[ITH radio]

There was an interesting op-ed in today's NYT that gives me more confidence colleges and universities in most states will reopen as planned in the fall. Of course there could be set backs, etc. but for football to resume, students have to be allowed on campus first.

Millsaps announced they plan to reopen and will offer online options for students who elect to stay home. Here in FL, we are in the process reopening, but Florida Tech (a D2 school) shuttered their FB and other programs given financial strain. They may not be the last to follow suit.

Upstate NY is going to reopen this wkd also, in the parts of NYS that are the homes of several LL & E8 schools. Time will tell.

[ITH radio]

Ithaca makes first move - this would appear to kill Weeks 1-5 of the Bombers 2020 season, if not the entire thing, barring NCAA saying games can go into December...

https://www.ithaca.edu/news/college-plans-fall-opening

[Pat Coleman]

From that page:

"I also know many of you will have questions about our athletics programs this fall. Please be assured that our athletics department staff, sports medicine staff, and the director of medicine for IC are working collaboratively to determine a plan and process to re-engage in intercollegiate athletics and recreational sports, and that IC will continue to follow NCAA, NATA, and Liberty League guidelines."

I don't think that the idea of not holding class until Oct. 5 eliminates all athletics until Oct. 5. Schools already compete in fall events before classes start.

[Oline89]

From that page:

"I also know many of you will have questions about our athletics programs this fall. Please be assured that our athletics department staff, sports medicine staff, and the director of medicine for IC are working collaboratively to determine a plan and process to re-engage in intercollegiate athletics and recreational sports, and that IC will continue to follow NCAA, NATA, and Liberty League guidelines."

I don't think that the idea of not holding class until Oct. 5 eliminates all athletics until Oct. 5. Schools already compete in fall events before classes start.

This would mean fall athletes on campus at least 6 weeks before general student population arrives. 

[NED3Guy]

Will be interesting to see how this plays out...

COVID worries aside, bringing fall athletes back before general students in a normal year is a financial burden on most athletic department budgets and thats just for a week or two usually. I hope I'm wrong, but I can't the Bombers playing any games until at least October given the recent news.

Cancel the NCAA tournament for this year, start playing again in October, play 6 conference games, then have a championship game....everybody is done by Thanksgiving.

[Oline89]

"An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to severe illness and death," reads a disclaimer on the Disney World website.

It concludes: "By visiting Walt Disney World Resort, you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19."

If you substitute NCAA football for Disney World, what percentage of players/parents would sign?  I bet the majority

[jknezek]

"An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to severe illness and death," reads a disclaimer on the Disney World website.

It concludes: "By visiting Walt Disney World Resort, you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19."

If you substitute NCAA football for Disney World, what percentage of players/parents would sign?  I bet the majority

Yes... but Disney is currently requiring masks for all workers and visitors when Disney Springs opens next week. Also temperature checks and social distancing. They have said they will require the same when the parks actually open as well, and no date has been given for that yet. They are requiring masks in Shanghai, the only Disney park worldwide currently open. You can't exactly have football players wearing masks and social distancing. So yes, Disney is admitting that people have to accept personal risk, but they are also requiring things to minimize that risk. Something that the NCAA can't physically do in the case of football.

I don't believe intercollegiate sports will resume unless students can return to campus for academic classes. Colleges are, and should be, about education first, athletics second. If a college deems it's not safe for students to return, it should also be reasonable enough to realize it is not safe or necessary for college athletics to occur.

But we will see. I suspect by the end of June decisions will have been made for better or worse. I suspect some conferences will play, and others won't at the DIII level.

[gordonmann]

If you substitute NCAA football for Disney World, what percentage of players/parents would sign?  I bet the majority

Just curious, why do you assume the majority would come back?

I think a sizeable chunk would not come back or (in the case of incoming freshman) won't come at all. Not sure if that's 10 percent, 30, 50 or something else, but the number bandied about in terms of registrations dropping is 10 - 30 percent. Getting 70-90 percent back would still be a majority but I assume a lot of programs cannot stand to lose that chunk of their roster. The smaller programs need the bodies and the larger programs need the money those bodies generate.

[UfanBill]

If you substitute NCAA football for Disney World, what percentage of players/parents would sign?  I bet the majority

Just curious, why do you assume the majority would come back?

I think a sizeable chunk would not come back or (in the case of incoming freshman) won't come at all. Not sure if that's 10 percent, 30, 50 or something else, but the number bandied about in terms of registrations dropping is 10 - 30 percent. Getting 70-90 percent back would still be a majority but I assume a lot of programs cannot stand to lose that chunk of their roster. The smaller programs need the bodies and the larger programs need the money those bodies generate.

Gordon and or Pat...Correct me if I'm wrong... Most programs would have announced their incoming class by now but I've not seen much. My school, Union, announced theirs last season on April 8th. A couple of inquiries to them went unanswered. I assume everything is on hold but is that up to individual schools?

[Oline89]

If you substitute NCAA football for Disney World, what percentage of players/parents would sign?  I bet the majority

Just curious, why do you assume the majority would come back?

I think a sizeable chunk would not come back or (in the case of incoming freshman) won't come at all. Not sure if that's 10 percent, 30, 50 or something else, but the number bandied about in terms of registrations dropping is 10 - 30 percent. Getting 70-90 percent back would still be a majority but I assume a lot of programs cannot stand to lose that chunk of their roster. The smaller programs need the bodies and the larger programs need the money those bodies generate.

I have a few reasons for feeling this way:
1.  The single segment of society least affected by COVID 19 is the under the 24 yo age group.  In this age group, the death rate is under 0.2% (that is death/confirmed case) and the true rate is probably dramatically lower, since it is well established that there are many asymptomatic carriers of the disease, and we only test symptomatic individuals.
2.  I worry about the mental health of this age group, as much as the physical health.  How long can we continue to keep college age students home with mom and dad?  Not healthy for anyone
3.  If we take this group of healthy students, and separate them from the more at risk members of society, then even if they become asymptomatic carriers, there is a lower chance of spread to at risk groups. 
4.  Agree that playing sports (except perhaps golf) eliminates social distancing and certainly no chance of wearing a mask.  But, who cares?  These are healthy kids, tested, closely monitored and separated from the rest of at risk society.
5.  We need to draw a line in the sand at some point.  If you want to close colleges until a vaccine is developed, tested, manufactured, distributed and then given.....18 months may be a pipe dream
6.  Finally, going to college and playing sports is voluntary.  If you don't want to go, don't.  If you don't want to play, don't. 

[The Mole]

Many coaches at all levels are currently "on the sideline". To quote a coach at the FCS level "some guys on our staff got furloughed. I think it will be lifted soon, so I've got to be judicious about how much work I do. Never been told "your're not allowed to work" before.

Lots of radio silence out there....

[Bartman]

If you substitute NCAA football for Disney World, what percentage of players/parents would sign?  I bet the majority

Just curious, why do you assume the majority would come back?

I think a sizeable chunk would not come back or (in the case of incoming freshman) won't come at all. Not sure if that's 10 percent, 30, 50 or something else, but the number bandied about in terms of registrations dropping is 10 - 30 percent. Getting 70-90 percent back would still be a majority but I assume a lot of programs cannot stand to lose that chunk of their roster. The smaller programs need the bodies and the larger programs need the money those bodies generate.

I have a few reasons for feeling this way:
1.  The single segment of society least affected by COVID 19 is the under the 24 yo age group.  In this age group, the death rate is under 0.2% (that is death/confirmed case) and the true rate is probably dramatically lower, since it is well established that there are many asymptomatic carriers of the disease, and we only test symptomatic individuals.
2.  I worry about the mental health of this age group, as much as the physical health.  How long can we continue to keep college age students home with mom and dad?  Not healthy for anyone
3.  If we take this group of healthy students, and separate them from the more at risk members of society, then even if they become asymptomatic carriers, there is a lower chance of spread to at risk groups. 
4.  Agree that playing sports (except perhaps golf) eliminates social distancing and certainly no chance of wearing a mask.  But, who cares?  These are healthy kids, tested, closely monitored and separated from the rest of at risk society.
5.  We need to draw a line in the sand at some point.  If you want to close colleges until a vaccine is developed, tested, manufactured, distributed and then given.....18 months may be a pipe dream
6.  Finally, going to college and playing sports is voluntary.  If you don't want to go, don't.  If you don't want to play, don't.

Oline, these are logical and thoughtful points, +k. Keeping my fingers crossed for a negligible uptick in the virus as NYS opens up each stage, and a balanced approach by NYS  governance to decision making as we hopefully resume life responsibly until there is a vaccine .  I know Hobart and William Smith care deeply for the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff but we also must balance the risks with the current and future rewards that the community offers to the students when functioning as intended. I've got my binoculars and a spot on the soccer practice field overlooking the Boz if necessary, with my EarPods tuned to Ted Baker calling the game with a slight "homer" lean to the broadcast.   

[PBR...]

Was talking to a professor at FAU last week and what she told me is now being announced. She said schools are looking at bringing students back Aug 1 and cancelling mid semester break with finals the week before Thanksgiving. Keeping schools closed until mid January. Schools know students when at home will be together for family gatherings for Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Years. This way they don't bring Covid 19 back to school infecting students/teachers. If they get sick they can seek out their own doctors and healthcare providers at home. Schools are hoping that a vaccine will be ready at that point and anyone sick will show symptoms at home. Notre Dame students are returning August 14 I believe and other colleges are now announcing similar plans. Not sure how this will affect fall sports yet. I do know larger school like Texas A&M already have concrete plans in place on how to handle smaller crowds in the football stadium. Stay safe in the bio terror movie we are living in...

[jmcozenlaw]

Was talking to a professor at FAU last week and what she told me is now being announced. She said schools are looking at bringing students back Aug 1 and cancelling mid semester break with finals the week before Thanksgiving. Keeping schools closed until mid January. Schools know students when at home will be together for family gatherings for Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Years. This way they don't bring Covid 19 back to school infecting students/teachers. If they get sick they can seek out their own doctors and healthcare providers at home. Schools are hoping that a vaccine will be ready at that point and anyone sick will show symptoms at home. Notre Dame students are returning August 14 I believe and other colleges are now announcing similar plans. Not sure how this will affect fall sports yet. I do know larger school like Texas A&M already have concrete plans in place on how to handle smaller crowds in the football stadium. Stay safe in the bio terror movie we are living in...

PBR..............I'm aware that more schools are looking at the very same option (pre-Thanksgiving to mid-January shutdown) but are struggling mightily with this: What to do about the following winter sports.......Men's & Women's Wrestling, Men's & Women's Basketball and a football team that has a couple (or more) playoff games. If the idea is to completely cleanse and then shut the schools down for about two months or so, do you push back the wrestling and basketball seasons to mid-January? How do you begin to handle the football scenario for the Sweet 16, Elite 8, Final 4 and Championship teams? Gym space will get much tighter for those schools that have 2 wrestling teams (or even just men's), 2 basketball teams (all of them) and men's volleyball. Between practice time and games........THAT is a tight fit! I don't even want to get into the large amount of teams who travel for holiday tournaments in hoops and wrestling.

I wouldn't want to be making these decisions!