Are we prepared for no football this fall?

[ilovethecats]

I’d suggest you guys renew your tickets and prepare for football in the fall. It may not look exactly like the current schedule but I’d bet a nice bottle of whisky they’ll be playing.

I might even double down and say there will be fans....

:thumb:

 

[Spanky2]

I hope you’re right which isn’t often.

 

[kemajic]

Site is going nuts. I didn't post 4 times and there is no button to delete post.

or someone has a touch of senility! :lol:

Well earned.

 

[ilovethecats]

I hope you’re right which isn’t often.

 

[PlayerRep]

"With or Without the Say of Players, College Football Moves Toward a Return"

"Though campuses remain largely shuttered for the summer, signs of reopening for football have emerged in the last two weeks. The Southeastern and Big 12 conferences voted Friday to open their training facilities in early June for voluntary workouts, following the end of an N.C.A.A. ban on on-campus sports activities. The Pac-12 joined them Tuesday, after Commissioner Larry Scott suggested in a CNN interview that athletes would be safer on campuses than at home. The expectation is that by mid-July, teams could begin practicing.

This push to reopen, coming as nearly 100,000 Americans have died from the coronavirus and when about two-thirds of states are not showing a decline in Covid-19 cases, demands extraordinary steps: sanitizing facilities, widespread testing and social distancing in a sport whose very essence is contact.

And there’s no guarantee that if the season begins on time, it will finish as scheduled.

As the Big 12 commissioner, Bob Bowlsby, said last week in a webinar with other college administrators, in which he described college campuses as petri dishes for the transmission of infectious diseases: “It isn’t a matter of when we’re going to have outbreaks, it’s a matter of how big they are and how we go about triaging.”

The reopening plans highlight the enormous financial incentive to play football — even if cavernous stadiums remain mostly empty.

Schools in the Big Ten, for example, can earn $54 million per year in television revenues alone. And for those that may already be reeling from a two-thirds cut in N.C.A.A. men’s basketball tournament revenue, canceling football “can have an unbelievably devastating impact on us,” said Larry Williams, the athletic director at Akron, which recently dropped three sports amid a universitywide budget crunch.

There are cultural pressures, as well — particularly in Southern states where college football is king and the debate about whether (and how) the sport should return has become political fodder.

The most vulnerable will be coaches, staff members and ancillary workers who are older or have compromised immune systems. But while the probability of a college football player dying may be considerably smaller, it is not zero." [True, but probably less than from dying of a head injury.]

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/27/sports/ncaafootball/coronavirus-college-football.html?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage

 

[Yukon]

I’d suggest you guys renew your tickets and prepare for football in the fall. It may not look exactly like the current schedule but I’d bet a nice bottle of whisky they’ll be playing.

I might even double down and say there will be fans....

:thumb:

Totally agree.

 

[ilovethecats]

I’d suggest you guys renew your tickets and prepare for football in the fall. It may not look exactly like the current schedule but I’d bet a nice bottle of whisky they’ll be playing.

I might even double down and say there will be fans....

:thumb:

Totally agree.

Worst case scenario: The state of Montana is dominating this "pandemic". If they insist on playing without fans all season, so be it. I'll hate it but whatever. But that 3rd weekend in November....they better let us do the Brawl right!

 

[Grizbeer]

Totally agree.

Worst case scenario: The state of Montana is dominating this "pandemic". If they insist on playing without fans all season, so be it. I'll hate it but whatever. But that 3rd weekend in November....they better let us do the Brawl right!

My guess is the state of Montana will allow football and fans but Missoula County won’t. It would suck if the Griz have to play all their games in Butte or Bozeman, but that is what happened to the Mavs. Had to host their Memorial Day tournaments in Bozeman and Florence last weekend, could not get permission from the Missoula Health department. Similar to girls ASA softball, billings can host tournaments but the kids are not allowed on the fields in Missoula (even to practice)

 

[ilovethecats]

Worst case scenario: The state of Montana is dominating this "pandemic". If they insist on playing without fans all season, so be it. I'll hate it but whatever. But that 3rd weekend in November....they better let us do the Brawl right!

My guess is the state of Montana will allow football and fans but Missoula County won’t. It would suck if the Griz have to play all their games in Butte or Bozeman, but that is what happened to the Mavs. Had to host their Memorial Day tournaments in Bozeman and Florence last weekend, could not get permission from the Missoula Health department. Similar to girls ASA softball, billings can host tournaments but the kids are not allowed on the fields in Missoula (even to practice)

I didn't know that. I was curious why I've seen some girls softball tournies offered some places but not others.

 

[PlayerRep]

"Iowa among schools planning to play in front of all fans this season

Athletic director Gary Barta said Thursday that Iowa is planning to have unrestricted crowds at Kinnick Stadium."

"Iowa and other universities are still hoping to play football at full stadiums this fall.
Athletic director Gary Barta said Thursday that Iowa is planning to have unrestricted crowds at Kinnick Stadium, where last fall it averaged 65,557 for games, 20th in the FBS. Iowa also is modeling for reduced-capacity crowds, depending on guidelines from the state, the CDC and other agencies relating to the coronavirus pandemic.

If Iowa has reduced-capacity crowds for football, Barta said season-ticket holders, priority points holders and students will be admitted first. Iowa had about 48,000 season-ticket holders in 2019, and renewal rates for 2020 are around 75%.

Barta said he speaks daily with other Big Ten athletic directors and said all of the league's members are preparing for full football seasons with crowds, while also recognizing that no decisions about the season have been finalized.

Iowa is set to bring back athletes to campus in phases next month, beginning with football players on June 8, men's and women's basketball players on June 15, and athletes in other sports later in the month. Athletes can take part in voluntary activities in June, and required activities won't begin until at least July 1.

Barta said any Iowa athletes who don't want to train or compete because of COVID-19 concerns will not face any repercussions with their status or scholarships. Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman last week confirmed the same protections for Fighting Illini athletes."

Read in ESPN: https://apple.news/AdTbUpg_WRXCk37oDNy5Fmw

 

[PlayerRep]

Some UM and Missoula news. Posted in Taboo thread, but thought would be easier to have discussion and comments here. Go Seth Bodnar.

1. "University of Montana president doubles down on in-person fall semester"

[I will post this in another thread, so discussion can occur there. This is good news, in my view. He won't take the "easy" route.]

"Asked about whether all students arriving on campus would be tested for COVID-19 and whether there was enough space to isolate infected people, Bodnar said all of those things were still being explored as the situation develops.

“We are working very closely with experts here on campus and in our community to make sure we’re taking appropriate steps to mitigate the spread of the virus, to understand and ensure we have the correct testing protocols to understand the prevalence and the spread, and also to make sure we’re able to conduct effective contact tracing and that we have sufficient isolation and quarantine capacity for students who do have COVID, because we will have cases,” Bodnar said.

Bodnar was reluctant to say that UM was trying to capitalize on Montana’s relatively low case numbers in its recruitment efforts, but he acknowledged that marketing efforts were focusing on the fact that UM would be “wide open” for fall semester, and that it would likely be more attractive for students from more urban and densely populated states like California and parts of Washington and Oregon.

Bodnar noted that out-of-state applications were up 33% over last year at this time."

"https://missoulian.com/news/local/university-of-montana-president-doubles-down-on-in-person-fall-semester/article_388d35ce-0ada-5e05-a3d4-1cff6ead24c7.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1

2. "Missoula County is developing a plan to test asymptomatic residents for COVID-19 as restrictions ease and tourism picks up."

[I will also post this article in another thread. I don't have confidence in this health officer. Way too conservative. Must not have a clue what business and economics are.]

"During an online press conference Thursday afternoon, Missoula City-County Health Officer Ellen Leahy said Missoula was one of about 20 high-tourism communities identified by the office of Gov. Steve Bullock.

Leahy said a conference call with the governor’s staff Thursday morning “was emphasizing how to add another layer of population-based surveillance testing on people who are asymptomatic.”

https://missoulian.com/news/local/missoula-prepares-broad-covid-19-testing-plan/article_c43763f5-8f24-5876-8c0f-4a1a392a29a0.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1

 

[PlayerRep]

"The Demise of College Football in California May Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

Once seemingly on the outside looking in for the 2020 season, the leaders of California programs have a message."

"Those in California are hitting back: Their demise was greatly exaggerated. They’re playing football, at least they plan to play football like everyone else. They’ve planned on it all along. Despite conjecture to the contrary, America’s most populous state is on the path for an on-time kickoff. The latest sign came Tuesday, when Pac-12 school leaders announced that players could return to campus as soon as June 15. And while it may be a long shot for UCLA, USC, Stanford and Cal to reopen facilities by that date, most feel that a July start date isn’t just possible, but is very much expected."

Holding the most conservative of approaches to reopening, California is showing significant signs of progress. For instance, last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state’s professional sports teams could play without crowds as soon as June. And then on Wednesday, he suggested a plan for reopening gyms in the state could be released within the next week. Meanwhile, much of the state is more than halfway through the four-phase, regional reopening process.

The point is, California, though behind many other states, is advancing rapidly enough to give those there confidence in playing football. That includes marquee early-season games—USC against Alabama in Dallas and TCU at Cal—that many believed to be in jeopardy just days ago. “We’re extremely optimistic that we’re going to play a 12-game season. I’m excited about the opportunity to play Alabama, a rivalry game like Notre Dame and a nine-game conference schedule,” says Helton. “Things are trending in the right direction. We’re seeing progress.”

Read in Sports Illustrated: https://apple.news/AEDht3Ab6R7KiOhhYeKLBPw

 

[Mousegriz]

Worst case scenario: The state of Montana is dominating this "pandemic". If they insist on playing without fans all season, so be it. I'll hate it but whatever. But that 3rd weekend in November....they better let us do the Brawl right!

My guess is the state of Montana will allow football and fans but Missoula County won’t. It would suck if the Griz have to play all their games in Butte or Bozeman, but that is what happened to the Mavs. Had to host their Memorial Day tournaments in Bozeman and Florence last weekend, could not get permission from the Missoula Health department. Similar to girls ASA softball, billings can host tournaments but the kids are not allowed on the fields in Missoula (even to practice)

Heard yesterday the Garden City Brewfest at Caras Park on June 20th is on. Missoula Downtown Association (and indirectly the City of Missoula) make money on that one. A drunk fest at Caras Park is OK......but legion baseball isn't??

"Keep Missoula beered!"

 

[Berkeley_Griz]

Decent amount of mixed feelings among UM faculty on the push for selling a wide open campus. It could go well; I certainly hope it does. But some worry that if it goes poorly, it (and the media attention it gets) would only compound the decade-long enrollment issue. Still a bit of time for plans to become concrete of course, and everyone is planning for multiple scenarios.

 

[PlayerRep]

Decent amount of mixed feelings among UM faculty on the push for selling a wide open campus. It could go well; I certainly hope it does. But some worry that if it goes poorly, it (and the media attention it gets) would only compound the decade-long enrollment issue. Still a bit of time for plans to become concrete of course, and everyone is planning for multiple scenarios.

What would compound the enrollment issue would be having only online classes in the fall. At this point, the risks are completely outweighed by the benefits, in my view. I think UM’s enrollment will collapse this fall if UM is only online.

 

[Griz til I die]

Some UM and Missoula news. Posted in Taboo thread, but thought would be easier to have discussion and comments here. Go Seth Bodnar.

1. "University of Montana president doubles down on in-person fall semester"

[I will post this in another thread, so discussion can occur there. This is good news, in my view. He won't take the "easy" route.]

"Asked about whether all students arriving on campus would be tested for COVID-19 and whether there was enough space to isolate infected people, Bodnar said all of those things were still being explored as the situation develops.

“We are working very closely with experts here on campus and in our community to make sure we’re taking appropriate steps to mitigate the spread of the virus, to understand and ensure we have the correct testing protocols to understand the prevalence and the spread, and also to make sure we’re able to conduct effective contact tracing and that we have sufficient isolation and quarantine capacity for students who do have COVID, because we will have cases,” Bodnar said.

Bodnar was reluctant to say that UM was trying to capitalize on Montana’s relatively low case numbers in its recruitment efforts, but he acknowledged that marketing efforts were focusing on the fact that UM would be “wide open” for fall semester, and that it would likely be more attractive for students from more urban and densely populated states like California and parts of Washington and Oregon.

Bodnar noted that out-of-state applications were up 33% over last year at this time."

"https://missoulian.com/news/local/university-of-montana-president-doubles-down-on-in-person-fall-semester/article_388d35ce-0ada-5e05-a3d4-1cff6ead24c7.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1

2. "Missoula County is developing a plan to test asymptomatic residents for COVID-19 as restrictions ease and tourism picks up."

[I will also post this article in another thread. I don't have confidence in this health officer. Way too conservative. Must not have a clue what business and economics are.]

"During an online press conference Thursday afternoon, Missoula City-County Health Officer Ellen Leahy said Missoula was one of about 20 high-tourism communities identified by the office of Gov. Steve Bullock.

Leahy said a conference call with the governor’s staff Thursday morning “was emphasizing how to add another layer of population-based surveillance testing on people who are asymptomatic.”

https://missoulian.com/news/local/missoula-prepares-broad-covid-19-testing-plan/article_c43763f5-8f24-5876-8c0f-4a1a392a29a0.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1

Here’s some more good news for UM specifically. It may not be good for the NAIA schools in the fall, but if what they’re saying here is true, this is very positive news for UM.
https://t.co/utZfbvVf83

 

[Berkeley_Griz]

Decent amount of mixed feelings among UM faculty on the push for selling a wide open campus. It could go well; I certainly hope it does. But some worry that if it goes poorly, it (and the media attention it gets) would only compound the decade-long enrollment issue. Still a bit of time for plans to become concrete of course, and everyone is planning for multiple scenarios.

What would compound the enrollment issue would be having only online classes in the fall. At this point, the risks are completely outweighed by the benefits, in my view. I think UM’s enrollment will collapse this fall if UM is only online.

There are definitely some faculty who would agree with you, and also many with other views. It's a tricky situation to navigate, and there is a lot of anxiety about the impacts from people of all views. I think it's fair to say UM is feeling even more pressure than many other universities due to the already extremely worrisome enrollment trend.

 

[PlayerRep]

What would compound the enrollment issue would be having only online classes in the fall. At this point, the risks are completely outweighed by the benefits, in my view. I think UM’s enrollment will collapse this fall if UM is only online.

There are definitely some faculty who would agree with you, and also many with other views. It's a tricky situation to navigate, and there is a lot of anxiety about the impacts from people of all views. I think it's fair to say UM is feeling even more pressure than many other universities due to the already extremely worrisome enrollment trend.

What are the other views?

Why is it tricky?

I agree UM feels more pressure.

 

[Griz til I die]

https://missoulian.com/news/local/all-eyes-on-enrollment-across-montana-university-system-ahead-of-unpredictable-fall/article_6312bda0-3a92-5b1c-8b10-81139143c06d.html?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter_missoulian

 

[Berkeley_Griz]

There are definitely some faculty who would agree with you, and also many with other views. It's a tricky situation to navigate, and there is a lot of anxiety about the impacts from people of all views. I think it's fair to say UM is feeling even more pressure than many other universities due to the already extremely worrisome enrollment trend.

What are the other views?

Why is it tricky?

I agree UM feels more pressure.

What you'd expect - some think we shouldn't be making such bold proclamations yet, that we should plan on a hybrid model, that we should use this as a catalyst to really ramp up what we can do as either online or in hybrid form, etc.

Of course, in reality everyone is prepping for multiple versions of a fall semester, understanding plans could change. Tricky in that this is not a scenario like anyone has ever dealt with, and we must balance pressure from government, what's best for students, worries about enrollment, data that could potentially change at any moment (some are worried that tourist season might give us a sudden spike of cases), and that extra pressure itself (other universities are better able to absorb a fall enrollment dip right now), etc.