"… So many significant events for the sport have been squeezed into the last 72 hours that it feels like the rat-a-tat lyrics to the old REM song, “It’s the end of the world.” Except no one feels fine.
The most visceral news came with UConn football canceling the 2020 season on Wednesday morning, the first Division I program to do so. Then there are the star defections – Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley, Minnesota’s Rashod Bateman and the expectation that Penn State’s Micah Parsons will join them soon. It continued with an internal investigation at Colorado State for its handling of COVID-19, a Stadium report that three-quarters of Idaho players don’t want to play and three Big Ten schools with significant enough breakouts and contact tracing that they’ve paused workouts." …
https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football-season-facing-long-odds-you-can-feel-the-tidal-wave-coming-163008561.html
Maybe someone should start a threat about:
College Football Revenue Loss By School If Season Is Cancelled
Interesting to see Big 10 football players unity group:
“ The proposal includes:
A third-party that would implement COVID testing and enforce all COVID-19 health and safety standards
Sufficient penalties for noncompliance
Mandate for athletics personnel to report suspected violations
A guarantee that all college athletes have up-to-date information about the risks that COVID-19 may pose to their personal health, the health of their families, and the health of their communities
Adherence to World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance for sporting events and compliance with all federal, state, and local statutes and regulations
Safety standards that are appropriate for each sport
Social distancing requirements and mandatory mask-wearing in and around athletic facilities by coaches, staff, players, vendors, press, and visitors
Minimum cleaning and sanitation protocols for all uniforms, equipment, and athletic facilities, including visitor locker rooms
Temperature checks for anyone entering any athletic facility
Contact-tracing protocols for anyone who comes into contact with college athletes and team personnel who test positive
Testing of everyone who comes into contact with college athletes, including coaches, trainers, medical staff, nutrition staff, referees, media, etc.
In-season testing of all of the stated above three days per week
Testing twice per week with an FDA-approved test with less than 1% false negatives
Additionally, testing on the day of competition (or within 24 hours of competition for each team that can be quarantined) with an FDA-approved test with less than 5% false negatives, with results delivered at least two hours before competition
Immediate quarantine of any person who tests positive or exhibits symptoms
Quarantine rules for college athletes who test positive, and protocols for them to return to practice and competition
Objective criteria for shutting down seasons should the pandemic worsen or if teams experience significant outbreaks
Notably, the proposal asks for “whistleblower protections” for personnel and athletes who report suspected violations. It also asks for the ban of COVID-19 liability waivers, which some schools (such as Ohio State) have implemented this offseason, and an automatic medical redshirt for any player who misses any competition due to a positive test or must quarantine due to contact tracing.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb/big-ten-players-latest-to-form-unity-group-heres-what-theyre-asking-for/ar-BB17BuK1
I’m beginning to think that college football may be all about the money.
Anyone else think that I may be on to something ?
Pac-12 and Big 10 are now looking at Spring 2021 - OK, we’ll see. IMO, It’s REALLY hard to justify continuing to play contact sports when schools are going mostly or all virtual for classes, and gyms are closed. The virus is the virus: it doesn’t back down just because we deem an activity “necessary”, even if that means schools losing $$. All the wishing in the world will not make it any safer. What will it take - a treasured coach to die? A young player winding up with permanent health problems from it? I don’t know what the acceptable fallout rate is.
The biggest stressor with this pandemic is having things change daily, or hourly, as our body of knowledge grows and decisions are made. I feel for everyone involved trying to make good choices with imperfect information and no crystal ball.