2020 NCAA Tournament

[jknezek]

Partial list of major colleges transitioning to online classes only after Spring Break or closing campuses. When you have Rutgers and Ohio State in these groupings, those are big freaking schools, you start wondering. I've taken online classes. My wife is currently taking them. We both hate them and think they are way less effective than in person classes. But apparently the Education Department is lessening rules and standards to help this transition. At some point the athletes have a point. Why should they be the only ones on campus and traveling? Why are they guinea pigs? Is sport really that important? More important than in-person classes students have signed up for?

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/10/us/politics/coronavirus-colleges.html

[hopefan]

To add....

Not sure if it has been brought up here, but my alma mater, RPI, will be hosting Harvard in a best of 3 game series ECAC D1 Hockey playoff series this weekend..

In front of empty stands    (capacity 4,780)

Contrary to opinions previously mentioned, IVY League Basketball players, led by Penn, are banding together to PROTEST CANCELLATION of the IVY League Men's and Women's Basketball tourneys, while Ivy teams in other sports are permitted to advance in various tourneys..

[WUPHF]

Contrary to opinions previously mentioned, Ivy League Basketball players, led by Penn, are banding together to PROTEST CANCELLATION of the IVY League Men's and Women's Basketball tourneys, while Ivy teams in other sports are permitted to advance in various tourneys..

Meh! Protests are the everyday on elite college campuses...

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

The colleges that are closing have student protests to stay open and the colleges not closing have students protests to shut them down.  You're not going to satisfy everyone.  I'd just encourage schools to work with local health guidelines; it's important for everyone to be on the same page.

[WUPHF]

On the contrary, deciding to cancel one event and carry on with others is in fact a series of decisions.

It is very reasonable for an administration to assess multiple situations and, based on the individual considerations and factors impacting different events, arrive at different conclusions as to the preferred path forward.  These decisions were not made in a vacuum.

Agreed!

[hopefan]

At some point the athletes have a point. Why should they be the only ones on campus and traveling? Why are they guinea pigs? Is sport really that important? More important than in-person classes students have signed up for?

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/10/us/politics/coronavirus-colleges.html

My post was meant to show that the attitude of college athletes expressed in jknezbek's post is not necessarily the attitude shared by all college athletes....

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

No fans at Swarthmore.  Announcement just came down - it's on their athletic page.

Wittenberg announced limited attendance, meaning athlete families will be allowed in.  Mount Union with the same policy.

[jknezek]

At some point the athletes have a point. Why should they be the only ones on campus and traveling? Why are they guinea pigs? Is sport really that important? More important than in-person classes students have signed up for?

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/10/us/politics/coronavirus-colleges.html

My post was meant to show that the attitude of college athletes expressed in jknezbek's post is not necessarily the attitude shared by all college athletes....

I agree with this 100%. If I paid for in person classes and got switched to online classes I'd be pretty mad. Let alone meal plans, room costs, parking fees, facility fees and everything else that SHOULD be refunded if campus isn't open or you aren't allowed to be there, but I wouldn't hold my breathe.

DIII athletes play for the love of the game. There is, literally, only costs involved. So if you are closing in person classes, as Amherst has done, what justification do you have for your athletes to stay and travel and play? Do players still want to play? Probably most of them. That's part of the love of the game. But that doesn't change the fact that the admin has decided campus is a risk, travel is a risk, but somehow traveling for sport and practicing on campus is not a risk. There is no logical justification for this. There is no way to put lipstick on that pig. You ARE treating athletes as lab rats, and that's not ok, even if they are willing to be those lab rats.

This is what drives me crazy. Especially at DIII where sport is simply an extra curricular activity. If campus is too risky for education, the whole point of being there, campus is too risky for extra curriculars... including sport.

[jknezek]

And, to back up what I just posted...

https://generalssports.com/news/2020/3/11/baseball-thursday-contest-against-tufts-cancelled.aspx

Tufts just cancelled spring sports for the remainder of the spring semester according to a W&L press release. They were scheduled to play baseball.

[Colby Hoops]

And, to back up what I just posted...

https://generalssports.com/news/2020/3/11/baseball-thursday-contest-against-tufts-cancelled.aspx

Tufts just cancelled spring sports for the remainder of the spring semester according to a W&L press release. They were scheduled to play baseball.

Whole NESCAC conference cancelled spring sports: https://nescac.com/news/2019-20/COVID19-Athletics

[VT-Alum-NOVA]

And, to back up what I just posted...

https://generalssports.com/news/2020/3/11/baseball-thursday-contest-against-tufts-cancelled.aspx

Tufts just cancelled spring sports for the remainder of the spring semester according to a W&L press release. They were scheduled to play baseball.

Whole NESCAC conference cancelled spring sports: https://nescac.com/news/2019-20/COVID19-Athletics

only the beginning, how can they even ask d3 players to stay on campus and travel when all other students would be going home?  Many if not MOST USA universities will probably send students home including D1 schools

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

And, to back up what I just posted...

https://generalssports.com/news/2020/3/11/baseball-thursday-contest-against-tufts-cancelled.aspx

Tufts just cancelled spring sports for the remainder of the spring semester according to a W&L press release. They were scheduled to play baseball.

Whole NESCAC conference cancelled spring sports: https://nescac.com/news/2019-20/COVID19-Athletics

only the beginning, how can they even ask d3 players to stay on campus and travel when all other students would be going home?  Many if not MOST USA universities will probably send students home including D1 schools

A lot of the big schools are moving to online classes and inviting students to go home; most are allowing them to stay, if desired.  It's really public gatherings they're trying to minimize.

[89Pirate]

In light of recent event changes among DI and DIII, and I presume DII as well, do you think the Finals in Atlanta weekend will be affected?

I have the opportunity to go but...would hate to have to deal with airline cancellations etc...

Also - do we know the approximate cost for tickets for the Finals games for DIII?

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

In light of recent event changes among DI and DIII, and I presume DII as well, do you think the Finals in Atlanta weekend will be affected?

I have the opportunity to go but...would hate to have to deal with airline cancellations etc...

Also - do we know the approximate cost for tickets for the Finals games for DIII?

D2 and D3 finals are free to the public.

[89Pirate]

In light of recent event changes among DI and DIII, and I presume DII as well, do you think the Finals in Atlanta weekend will be affected?

I have the opportunity to go but...would hate to have to deal with airline cancellations etc...

Also - do we know the approximate cost for tickets for the Finals games for DIII?

D2 and D3 finals are free to the public.

Saweet!  Save me a few bucks anyway!