Basketball coming back, but not Football tomorrow

[UR80sfan]

Not sure what to make of this. I have always loved our football team, but believe the school's athletic national reputation is dominated by the basketball team. Seems like there is some prioritization of which teams they are allowing back, with basketball at the top.

https://richmond.com/sports/college...cle_a972be81-be0d-54eb-8c3c-51c7a303f129.html

 

[RichmondNative]

Football decision seems logical to me. Why bring the players back early if they won’t play until October, which seems like the best case scenario at the moment.

You can argue why the basketball team needs to be on campus at this point, but I suppose at least one factor is that the team is smaller, so in theory easier to control. They can also use this first group as a test of the protocols they plan to implement for all students late next month.

 

[SpiderTrap]

Plain and simple. Football is not happening this year. The power conferences are trying to delay By moving to conference only games and hope things get better But that is a false hope at this point. Basketball has a slim chance to succeed because of fewer players but the main issue will be travel.

 

[AnnapSpider]

Plain and simple. Football is not happening this year. The power conferences are trying to delay By moving to conference only games and hope things get better But that is a false hope at this point. Basketball has a slim chance to succeed because of fewer players but the main issue will be travel.

Maryland just suspended practice because some connected to the program got the virus. And, the Big 10 is already down to conference only games.

 

[97spiderfan]

Plain and simple. Football is not happening this year. The power conferences are trying to delay By moving to conference only games and hope things get better But that is a false hope at this point. Basketball has a slim chance to succeed because of fewer players but the main issue will be travel.

I wouldn't go that far. I think football is tenous and they are giving time to see if the numbers start to improve. Numbers are going the absolute wrong way now though. My confidence level wanes daily on football though.

Basketball has a better shot if only from a timing perspective of being later and possibly being able to delay until January. I think conferences may get creative and schedule some round robin tournaments in a single facility with tight controls.

 

[SpiderTrap]

Its a done deal. The whole return to college football was built on 1 thing - hope. Hope the numbers would go down and hope this pandemic would probably not be totally gone by now, but be in the rear view mirror. As a result - the NCAA did little to nothing to prepare for the likelihood it would still be here and be even worse.
The issue you have after you talk player safety - which is mountain to climb (did you just see the NFL might mandate full face masks on helmets - how would the NCAA do that?) is that you have conferences making decisions and likely schools as well will make your own decisions too. You already have two leagues - Ivy and Patriot cancel fall sports. You have some big name conferences moving to Conference only games. And I am sure you will have some individual schools - especially in hot zones right like Florida, NC, California, Arizona, etc - cancel sports for their own school - so how do you play football if you have some leagues in, some out, and some schools in and some out. Not to mention - if it gets to that point, and your a big name player on a big name team with NFL aspirations - do you even chance playing this year? Why take the risk for 6 meaningless conference games? So if you have some big name players drop out - what is left? I hate to say it because I love college football more than the next guy - but if I was a betting man, I would bet on college football not happening.

 

[97spiderfan]

VHSL just announced no high school in Virginia this Fall. Not a shocker consider some schools are going all virtual.

 

[Eight Legger]

Football is the sport least equipped to handle this pandemic. Eighty something guys bumping into each other for three hours? Yeah, a petri dish waiting to infect everyone.

 

[gospidersgo]

Football is the sport least equipped to handle this pandemic. Eighty something guys bumping into each other for three hours? Yeah, a petri dish waiting to infect everyone.

Wrestling?

 

[Eight Legger]

Wrestling?

When did we get a wrestling team?

But even still, there aren’t 22 wrestlers on the mat at the same time.

 

[gospidersgo]

You responded right under the VHSL cancelling football post so I thought we were thinking high school.

But yes, any contact sports seem really unlikely to happen until things calm down.

 

[urmite]

You responded right under the VHSL cancelling football post so I thought we were thinking high school.

But yes, any contact sports seem really unlikely to happen until things calm down.

Thanks, I was wondering how the VHSL was able to cancel high school instead of high school sports.

 

[AnnapSpider]

When did we get a wrestling team?

But even still, there aren’t 22 wrestlers on the mat at the same time.

Actually, several years ago we did have wrestling team. No longer, obviously.

 

[SFspidur]

Actually, several years ago we did have wrestling team. No longer, obviously.

Whereby "several" means 38.

 

[Eight Legger]

Lol

 

[AnnapSpider]

Whereby "several" means 38.

LOL- time flys. We didn’t have a wrestling team until after I graduated . So, in my mind it was several years ago.

 

[ur2K]

 

[SpiderTrap]

Not good. I feel like if everything was fine then there would be no need for an announcement. Stay tuned

 

[I-M-UR]

Football is the sport least equipped to handle this pandemic. Eighty something guys bumping into each other for three hours? Yeah, a petri dish waiting to infect everyone.

Basketball isn’t much better plus it’s indoors. Always remember to thank China for this mess

 

[SpiderTrap]

I feel like conferences are just waiting to see what other conferences are going to do so they are not first. Right now - I would see the expectation for basketball seasons to move to a Jan.1 start date and play conference only games. Not that I see this as a realistic solution, but it just buys the conferences a few more months of time to sit back and hope this virus calms down - when in all likelihood it will probably get worse over the winter by most experts prediction.

 

[Ferrum Spider]

Probably going to announce no basketball until 1/1 with the hopes resuming conference play. Maybe once the anti maskers and those not taking this serious enough realize we aren’t having football (At least a normal season) they’ll begin to cooperate and this can be under some sort of control by new year. Maybe just maybe we can have a basketball season with no fans or limited fans.

 

[Eight Legger]

Is basketball considered a fall sport for these purposes, since it begins during the “fall” semester, even though not until November?

 

[SFspidur]

No, basketball is a winter sport. If they just cancel fall sports, it doesn't necessarily impact basketball. But if it's a blanket canceling of all sports competition before a specific date like Jan 1, then hoops would obviously have a major issue.

 

[spiderman]

Ivy cancelled all fall sports, but their plan is to start basketball and other winter sports as soon as the fall semester and finals are over, so early/mid December.

not sure if that means they plan on playing some OOC games, or they're just practicing until league games.

 

[SFspidur]

 

[SFspidur]

Here's the announcement...fall sports postponed to spring, but they will take a look in mid-September and see if some sort of truncated schedule for the fall sports is possible.

No decision on basketball timing yet.

https://atlantic10.com/news/2020/7/...all-sport-competitions-and-championships.aspx

Q: Does the postponement of fall sport competitive competition schedules include men’s and women’s basketball games in November and December, or the winter sport schedules?

A: No, as a winter sport, basketball is approximately 75 days away from its first official team practice and more than three months away from a competitive contest with outside competition. Thus, the A-10 decided it was premature to make a determination on basketball competition and other winter sport schedules (indoor track and field and the winter portion of the swimming and diving schedule). The circumstances are evolving daily relating to COVID-19 protective protocols and a safe return to practice and competition. Therefore, we will study and continue learning from medical experts in addressing winter sports later this fall.

https://richmondspiders.com/news/2020/7/17/general-atlantic-10-conference-postpones-fall-sports.aspx

 

[Spiderstew1962]

Well, that sucks. MLB, NFL, and PGA golf will have to suffice. I don't watch NBA or NHL.

 

[SpiderRick]

So what will happen to all the high school seniors that we have offered when they graduate? There won't be any scholarships available because all the college players will be coming back. There's your domino effect.

 

[SpiderVol]

If they play the fall sports in the spring, then it will take care of itself. If they don't and they extend eligibility to next fall then they will allow for additional scholarships in each sport impacted. It's the same thing they did for the spring sports this past season.

 

[Dr. Spidey]

Dammit China. Really hope Spider Hoops is not affected. I’ve been waiting too long for a squad like this.

 

[Eight Legger]

Unfortunately, the remainder of 2020 will be affected.

 

[KennyWood]

Sorry to be the buzzkill but until there's a widely administered vaccine, there will be no college sports. I think that's just the hard truth, all politics aside. And that means no college athletics this fall or next spring unfortunately. Fall 2021 is probably the earliest possible scenario for a restart, but even then, expect the college athletics landscape to look a whole lot different.

 

[spider23]

Vaccine approved Oct 2020, sports restart jan 2021.
Nostradamus23

 

[SpiderTrap]

This might be the answer assuming players and kids are willing to take the risk. Australia researchers have invented a 20 minute blood test for COVID-19. Assuming you could get enough of these tests and have them be mobile in some manner - you could then test players and coaches about 2 hours before game time for negative results. You could also use to test anyone showing symptons during practice and prep time and not have to wait 3 days for results.

Still lots of hurdles to clear - but if your going to play in a COVID environment, your going to need this type of rapid test.

https://www.usnews.com/news/top-new...chers-invent-20-minute-coronavirus-blood-test

 

[LongTimeLurkerFirstTimePoster]

Sorry to be the buzzkill but until there's a widely administered vaccine, there will be no college sports. I think that's just the hard truth, all politics aside. And that means no college athletics this fall or next spring unfortunately. Fall 2021 is probably the earliest possible scenario for a restart, but even then, expect the college athletics landscape to look a whole lot different.

and what happens when " the widely administrated vaccine" is proven to be only say 80% effective??? 85%? 90? 92? 95?

 

[spiderman]

If they play the fall sports in the spring, then it will take care of itself. If they don't and they extend eligibility to next fall then they will allow for additional scholarships in each sport impacted. It's the same thing they did for the spring sports this past season.

extending eligibility is great for the seniors but screws all the guys "next in line" who waste a year of eligibility. we'd have an 18 man roster for a year.

depending on my situation I think I'd transfer and spend a red shirt year until everyone's rosters are back in line.

 

[97spiderfan]

So what will happen to all the high school seniors that we have offered when they graduate? There won't be any scholarships available because all the college players will be coming back. There's your domino effect.

Great question. I don't think anyone has an answer for this year. I think the collective "hope" is that they can do Fall sports in the Spring. But as we have seen, hoping and wishing the disease away is not a good substitute for an actual plan.

 

[PhillySpider]

If they play the fall sports in the spring, then it will take care of itself. If they don't and they extend eligibility to next fall then they will allow for additional scholarships in each sport impacted. It's the same thing they did for the spring sports this past season.

The problem with this is that while the NCAA may expand the number of allowable scholarships, I don't see many schools (including UR) having the funding to be able to actually provide the additional scholarships and related expenses etc. some kids are going to get really hosed whether thats seniors who lose their last year and are told they wont get their scholarships for another year or incoming kids who have them pulled etc. But if this happens, kids are going to lose out for sure!

 

[SpiderTrap]

I think the NCAA would allow teams to go over scholarship limits in the instance of sport seasons being cancelled - but I think schools would need to make the decision of whether or not to honor those because of money issues. The real issue would be a school like UR - our hoops team has a lot of returning players and would benefit from allowing them to return an extra year and get the incoming frosh to play with them a year. So you might take on the cost in the instance if the payoff is an NCAA appearance where you might get that money back. But would you do that for a women's lacrosse team or a team with a losing record? You would like to think decisions would be made across the board for all sports - but I could see an issue where schools might pick sports where the rule will apply for them because of cost.

 

[97spiderfan]

The problem with this is that while the NCAA may expand the number of allowable scholarships, I don't see many schools (including UR) having the funding to be able to actually provide the additional scholarships and related expenses etc. some kids are going to get really hosed whether thats seniors who lose their last year and are told they wont get their scholarships for another year or incoming kids who have them pulled etc. But if this happens, kids are going to lose out for sure!

To me, if anyone loses it gonna be the seniors this year. Incoming freshman will be matriculating onto college, so you can't tell them, don't go to college. Whereas, most seniors should be on track to graduate and leave college. And at the end of the day, despite the massive money involved the NCAA is still amateur.

This would obviously suck for college seniors and particularly for us as we have a team full of them who is poised to do some great things this year. Hopefully, we get to play.