Covid-19 Effect on College Basketball & Other Sports

[Billyboy78]

Perhaps the risk of them traveling around a foreign city and contracting the virus with extracurriculars is low, but it's still a risk every day from when they leave the practice field to when they return the following day. Are they going straight home? Are the people they live with staying home? Or are they going out and about? If people are going out to supermarkets, malls, movies, restaurants, etc., it's a risk every time you leave the house and the chance you are taking the virus back to the team. It's the same risk we all have but the difference is most of us don't have employers with enough financial wherewithal to build a safe, secure bubble system that could eliminate almost all risk and allow for the season to be completed without any viral drama.

I think the biggest risk of all, as far as the players contracting the virus, is when/if their kids go back to school.

[RI_Rams]

Perhaps the risk of them traveling around a foreign city and contracting the virus with extracurriculars is low, but it's still a risk every day from when they leave the practice field to when they return the following day. Are they going straight home? Are the people they live with staying home? Or are they going out and about? If people are going out to supermarkets, malls, movies, restaurants, etc., it's a risk every time you leave the house and the chance you are taking the virus back to the team. It's the same risk we all have but the difference is most of us don't have employers with enough financial wherewithal to build a safe, secure bubble system that could eliminate almost all risk and allow for the season to be completed without any viral drama.

You're so right about 3 bubbles for MLB. I thought the same. Split the league into three. You can still get competitive games and make a legit season.

Four for football is right. I like your concept.

[Rhodymob05]

I wouldn't care how baseball is played as long as its played. I think most breakouts happened by players being irresponsible. That should tighten up the rest of the season, and maybe the Red Sox will wake up on the field.

[NYGFan_Section208]

I wouldn't care how baseball is played as long as its played. I think most breakouts happened by players being irresponsible. That should tighten up the rest of the season, and maybe the Red Sox will wake up on the field.

lol

[RF1]

[SmartyBarrett]

[bigappleram]

Seems hard to imagine a "bubble" scenario working for college sports just bc of the optics of it...I don't see how a school not doing in person classes is going to also be fielding a football team playing games every week. Just doesn't seem tenable.

[RF1]

[ramster]

UCONN announced this morning that it has suspended its 2020 football season. The cynical view is that it’s not a big deal because they are not in a conference for football at present and the program makes little to no money. Some experts have said they may have lost money if they played this year. It’s still a big decision, though.

Independents got hit hard like UCONN, UMASS, Navy, BYU

But Notre Dame made out great with the ACC Letting them play a full schedule plus eligible to play for the ACC Conference Championship.

ACC will play 11 games with 10 ACC Conference and 1 OOC Game. SEC will play 10 games with no OOC games.

[ramster]

[Obadiah]

Interesting perspective. If one outcome is the leveling of the playing field and, especially, the court among all D1 schools, some good may come out of all this mess.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2 ... Fstory-ans

[phipsiGD'11]

Good article, thanks Obadiah.

Sadly I think that article is also reflective of our current economic society as a whole right now. Will it change? I have little faith. Greed is rewarded. Too Big To Fail has failed us all.

[ramster]

[ramster]

[RF1]

[reef]

Heard the same thing in college football they may cancel the season

[Rhodymob05]

I don't agree with cancelling college football. If you think about it, these guys are the less prone to have symptoms then anyone do to their age and fitness levels. Plus most don't have families they live with during the season.

[ramster]

I don't agree with cancelling college football. If you think about it, these guys are the less prone to have symptoms then anyone do to their age and fitness levels. Plus most don't have families they live with during the season.

I don’t agree with canceling college football either. NFL is playing.

Listen to Trevor Lawrence....

[SmartyBarrett]

[Rhodymob05]

I agree with Lawrence too. Athletes are in the safest environment possible with consistent testing and access to medical treatment.

[rhodylaw]

I agree with Lawrence too. Athletes are in the safest environment possible with consistent testing and access to medical treatment.

I think college football was going to be tough to pull off this year, too many players per team which adds way too many variables. Basketball can be done, and I think fairly easily. Pod the non-conference with teams/conference that want to play and then pod the conference games. It will be a little different feel but it will be better than nothing.

NCAA tourney could easily happen because it is already pod driven.

[Rhodyram]

The Athletic has an extensive article with the framework of regional non conference “bubbles” for basketball. Interesting read if you subscribe.

[RI_Rams]

Now that B1G is out, I imagine the rest of the P5 follows. If that isn't obvious. How can you have a legit playoff and award a legit championship with most of the NCAA not playing?

[TrevlontRook3]

So what is the current status? I think Umass said no students returning to campus last week. Are there plans for any 1st semester games and what about players on there last year like Fatts?

I’m just confused, Massachusetts is putting out stats of 1.8% positive test with a 99.6% survival rate with the majority of the deaths being elderly. How can we say tell all these kids sorry your seasons done when this virus isn’t even effecting working age adults. I live right next to Umass and there’s no way any local restaurants will make it with out the influx of students. It’s frustrating to hear locals saying “it’s not bad, I can go out to eat at restaurants” but if the students aren’t at school then it doesn’t matter if those same people eat out every day, it’s still not going to keep these places afloat until fall of 2021.

[reef]

Official now Big 10 football not until spring you think the other 4 will follow ???

[RI_Rams]

I think the SEC will hold out as long as possible. Being how stubborn it is, I think they will do everything they can to play.

[reef]

What a mess this is !!!

[Rhodysk]

Also a report that the PAC-12 college basketball won’t start until January 2021.
Oh boy.

[Rhody74]

Official now Big 10 football not until spring you think the other 4 will follow ???

PAC12 cancelled fall football.

[section(105)]

......don’t see how hoops can be played with the things are going, or at best limited sked, limited fans, limited interest......time to investigate another few weeks in FL.....

[Billyboy78]

Unless there's a vaccine by early next year, I don't see how anything will change.

[Rhodymob05]

Yea Mass positive % is very low. R.I. had its travel restrictions dropped today (Except to mass lol) because the dummies actually used the correct standards. Every sport should be playing in my opinion. If schools are so worried why not just cancel every sport through the winter right now? Why wait? No way football plays in the spring, unrealistic.

[section(105)]

......there is , I think, a rhythm to the sports seasons at all levels, fall sports that “count” in the spring are a waste of time, those athletes that feel cheated for pro deals are probably on the pro radars......this whole thing is going to get worse before better.......

[TrevlontRook3]

Unless there's a vaccine by early next year, I don't see how anything will change.

why does or should it matter if there’s a vaccine if so few people, especially students are not being effected by this virus? Why should the youngest generation be told to take a year off and what, we’ll see what happens?

[TrevlontRook3]

Yea Mass positive % is very low. R.I. had its travel restrictions dropped today (Except to mass lol) because the dummies actually used the correct standards. Every sport should be playing in my opinion. If schools are so worried why not just cancel every sport through the winter right now? Why wait? No way football plays in the spring, unrealistic.

Agreed, play the seasons!!

If we starting see these athletes having positive cases rising and people being negatively impacted we can always put a stop to it. As of now I think more harm will come to local economies if we don’t play. Those economic hardships will grow to whole nation, we can’t actually think printing more money and giving hand outs will keep this nation afloat.

And there is no chance a spring football season would be any more than a handful of scrimmages and how would it affect future seasons and the draft

[steviep123]

Yea Mass positive % is very low. R.I. had its travel restrictions dropped today (Except to mass lol) because the dummies actually used the correct standards. Every sport should be playing in my opinion. If schools are so worried why not just cancel every sport through the winter right now? Why wait? No way football plays in the spring, unrealistic.

Agreed, play the seasons!!

If we starting see these athletes having positive cases rising and people being negatively impacted we can always put a stop to it. As of now I think more harm will come to local economies if we don’t play. Those economic hardships will grow to whole nation, we can’t actually think printing more money and giving hand outs will keep this nation afloat.

And there is no chance a spring football season would be any more than a handful of scrimmages and how would it affect future seasons and the draft

Have you seen MLB?

[Rhody74]

You can’t look just at the home states of the teams. You have to look at all the visitors’ states as well many of which aren’t doing as well as R.I. and Mass.

[Billyboy78]

Unless there's a vaccine by early next year, I don't see how anything will change.

why does or should it matter if there’s a vaccine if so few people, especially students are not being effected by this virus? Why should the youngest generation be told to take a year off and what, we’ll see what happens?

It's because of that selfish attitude the virus has not been controlled and will continue to spread. The federal government has had zero plans and will continue to do the same until we have new and competent leadership in our country.

[TrevlontRook3]

Unless there's a vaccine by early next year, I don't see how anything will change.

why does or should it matter if there’s a vaccine if so few people, especially students are not being effected by this virus? Why should the youngest generation be told to take a year off and what, we’ll see what happens?

It's because of that selfish attitude the virus has not been controlled and will continue to spread. The federal government has had zero plans and will continue to do the same until we have new and competent leadership in our country.

Won’t argue that I am being a little selfish but not nearly as selfish as everyone who wants this lock down to continue and keep the these kids from playing and collapsing our economy

[rhodylaw]

I now believe the NCAA is waiting for Congress to pass the next stimulus package with the hopes it has COVID indemnifications. Once the threat of a COVID law suit is lessened, College sports can restart. When people realize this, they will be knocking on their elected officials doors in the south to get college football back. I think the coaches and players (mostly) think they can do this safely, but the presidents and ADs who worry about liability are holding it back. Harbough at Michigan clearly thinks they can and should play.

[steviep123]

why does or should it matter if there’s a vaccine if so few people, especially students are not being effected by this virus? Why should the youngest generation be told to take a year off and what, we’ll see what happens?

It's because of that selfish attitude the virus has not been controlled and will continue to spread. The federal government has had zero plans and will continue to do the same until we have new and competent leadership in our country.

Won’t argue that I am being a little selfish but not nearly as selfish as everyone who wants this lock down to continue and keep the these kids from playing and collapsing our economy

If there was a viable plan and peopled stayed home/wore masks, etc, and people did what was needed to be part of the solution from the beginning we'd be done with this by now and we wouldn't be having this conversation.

[Rhode_Island_Red]

......don’t see how hoops can be played with the things are going, or at best limited sked, limited fans, limited interest......time to investigate another few weeks in FL.....

You’re safer in Rhode Island, even if there’s two feet of snow on the ground.

[Rhody74]

......don’t see how hoops can be played with the things are going, or at best limited sked, limited fans, limited interest......time to investigate another few weeks in FL.....

You’re safer in Rhode Island, even if there’s two feet of snow on the ground.

The governor down there is less competent than the president.

[Billyboy78]

why does or should it matter if there’s a vaccine if so few people, especially students are not being effected by this virus? Why should the youngest generation be told to take a year off and what, we’ll see what happens?

It's because of that selfish attitude the virus has not been controlled and will continue to spread. The federal government has had zero plans and will continue to do the same until we have new and competent leadership in our country.

Won’t argue that I am being a little selfish but not nearly as selfish as everyone who wants this lock down to continue and keep the these kids from playing and collapsing our economy

I don't want a lockdown. I just want people to wear masks and be responsible. Is that too much to ask?

[section(105)]

.......no, it is not.......

[Rhode_Island_Red]

It's because of that selfish attitude the virus has not been controlled and will continue to spread. The federal government has had zero plans and will continue to do the same until we have new and competent leadership in our country.

Won’t argue that I am being a little selfish but not nearly as selfish as everyone who wants this lock down to continue and keep the these kids from playing and collapsing our economy

I don't want a lockdown. I just want people to wear masks and be responsible. Is that too much to ask?

Yes — at least it’s too much to ask of the people who don’t care about anyone but themselves.

[rhodylaw]

It's because of that selfish attitude the virus has not been controlled and will continue to spread. The federal government has had zero plans and will continue to do the same until we have new and competent leadership in our country.

Won’t argue that I am being a little selfish but not nearly as selfish as everyone who wants this lock down to continue and keep the these kids from playing and collapsing our economy

If there was a viable plan and peopled stayed home/wore masks, etc, and people did what was needed to be part of the solution from the beginning we'd be done with this by now and we wouldn't be having this conversation.

I think this is wrong - there was no plan where we would be done with this until it runs its course. The second you are “done” it comes back from some person entering the country. It is why we should wear masks in public, protect the vulnerable, and make the best of it instead of thinking there will be a date/time when we are “done with it.” Flattening the curve was a good plan, it ended in the northeast 5 months ago.

[Rhodymob05]

Yea New Zealand just confirmed another case for the first time in months. Can’t rid of it completely. And it’s not the governments fault, blame the people. You think a federal mandate would stop the hundreds of thousands that protested? Plus let’s me real, I take it seriously and wear a mask when I need too. But I also See plenty going to the beach, hiking mountains in NH, enjoying a boat ride in Newport, eating at restaurants ect. We are surviving.

[SmartyBarrett]

[Rhody74]

When has it been “fair and equitable”?