The ACC will delay the start of competition for all fall sports until at least Sept. 1

[herb]

I don't know how MLB screwed it up (more on the players than MLB, but MLB should have been a stricter), but IMO, baseball is probably the best team sport to play during the pandemic if you place certain rules in like base runners wearing a facemask, and infield position players also wearing a mask if there's a baserunner. Everyone is basically social distanced naturally because of the nature of how baseball is played.

I can see GT baseball actually playing a full season before GT football is played.

but there has been no cross-contamination between the teams that were infected and those they were playing.

 

[FredJacket]

Masks "on" the baseball field would be like wearing 2 seat belts.

 

[BuzzStone]

Im basing my comment on what Ive actually experienced. My daughter plays travel softball and just finished her season. 7 weeks, 5 games a weekend against teams from all over the country. Nobody wore a mask on the field or dugout. Girls and parents were required to remain in their team "bubble" and not interact with the other teams. There was no testing protocol, no pitchers have their own balls or anything like that. We had no cases. I am not ignorant on how the virus spreads. Close contact in an indoor space is a prime spreader as are large crowds outside. And you can slow the spread but not prevent it. I really hope we get football this fall but more importantly I hope we actually see students get back to campus.

My daughter plays travel ball as well. We are taking a few weeks off now to move up to the next age group but we have been playing tournaments with teams from GA, TN, NC, SC, and Virginia for 2-3 months with no cases coming up. Only a few times have they done temperature checks on the way in. We all played with the same ball and no one wore a mask. That was playing anywhere from 3-7 games a weekend.

 

[RamblinRed]

but there has been no cross-contamination between the teams that were infected and those they were playing.

It seems like in baseball that it is much more an issue of infection within a team, not across teams. That makes sense given how baseball is structured and played.

Football will definitely be more difficult in that respect, with players literally touching each other, breathing, spitting, etc on every play.

 

[Techster]

but there has been no cross-contamination between the teams that were infected and those they were playing.

That is true. My point wasn't that wearing a mask is crucial to playing, but it gives college baseball an added layer of protection in non teammate situations. The only instance the mask would even come into play (no pun intended) is when there's someone in the batters box or on base. No one needs to wear a mask when there's no one on base because all the field players are socially distanced by virtue of how baseball is played.

People are literally making this some giant issue. College and High School football players are practicing with masks on to stay safe so they can have a season. It's not that big of a deal if baserunners and batters have to wear a mask to minimize risk. At the end of the day, this whole thing is about minimizing risk...and if we can do that to have sports, why not?

 

[orientalnc]

That is true. My point wasn't that wearing a mask is crucial to playing, but it gives college baseball an added layer of protection in non teammate situations. The only instance the mask would even come into play (no pun intended) is when there's someone in the batters box or on base. No one needs to wear a mask when there's no one on base because all the field players are socially distanced by virtue of how baseball is played.

People are literally making this some giant issue. College and High School football players are practicing with masks on to stay safe so they can have a season. It's not that big of a deal if baserunners and batters have to wear a mask to minimize risk. At the end of the day, this whole thing is about minimizing risk...and if we can do that to have sports, why not?

I worry more about the players interacting with other students and staff who are not being tested regularly. Our coaches and players seem to be doing a great job so far, but students are about to begin moving in.

 

[RamblinRed]

I was watching a video with Dan Wetzel and Pete Thamel last night before I went to bed that was taped on Monday. Thamel said he started hearing whispers on Friday and really dug into the player movement over the weekend. First, he said the coaches were and are largely unaware of what the players are doing.

Second, Thamel says he has heard too many times over the last 6 weeks of schools not testing as a philosophy or saying we are only going to test certain players. He says there is alot more concern and nervousness among the players than people realize. More importantly the student-athletes started tweeting with each other and that is when they found out there are serious cases amongst them and it is starting to scare them. That is why one of the demands we have seen from both the PAC12 and B10 groups is that the testing be done by an independent third party - the student-athletes don't trust the schools or conferences to do the testing and have their best interests at heart.

When the coaches say no one wants to play more than the players - there is truth in that, but the student-athletes want to play assuming the schools are open and honest with them and alleviate their concerns.

Third, he says he believes this is going to become the new norm in college sports so fans need to get used to it. Student-Athletes are going to have a say going forward. He said due to name, image, likeness and automatic transfer rules that are coming that student-athletes are going to have a larger say in how college athletics are played in the future because those two things give them more power than they have had in the past to be at the table and have a say.

 

[Techster]

I worry more about the players interacting with other students and staff who are not being tested regularly. Our coaches and players seem to be doing a great job so far, but students are about to begin moving in.

Definitely. I think on campus interactions will be a bigger risk than on the field interactions...outside of football and basketball as you are literally swapping bodily fluids playing those sports. I was just illustrating how baseball, with very minimal human to human contact, can drive down risk even further. Like I said, it's probably the safest team sport to play right now.

 

[MidtownJacket]

Im basing my comment on what Ive actually experienced. My daughter plays travel softball and just finished her season. 7 weeks, 5 games a weekend against teams from all over the country. Nobody wore a mask on the field or dugout. Girls and parents were required to remain in their team "bubble" and not interact with the other teams. There was no testing protocol, no pitchers have their own balls or anything like that. We had no cases. I am not ignorant on how the virus spreads. Close contact in an indoor space is a prime spreader as are large crowds outside. And you can slow the spread but not prevent it. I really hope we get football this fall but more importantly I hope we actually see students get back to campus.

.....
There was no testing protocol, =/= We had no cases.

If people were asymptomatic than you might not have people showing up as sick yet; Hope all stay well, and curious if in 4 weeks the story remains the same. Genuinely do.

 

[RamblinRed]

A few updates.
Penn St has announced that it will have no fans at games this year (this due to PA state regulations of no more than 25 at an indoor event and no more than 250 at an outdoor event).
Ohio announced last week no fans at NFL, college and HS football games.

Navy - Notre Dame game for this season has been cancelled.

Univ of VA has delayed students coming back to campus until Sept 8th - before that all classes will be online only.

There is an article about revenue losses for the NFL. So far the Raiders, Eagles, Giants and Jets will not have any fans. Those 4 by themselves is expected to cost the NFL $1.3B in Revenue.

NFL will take billion-dollar double-whammy on lost ticket revenue as hopes of fan attendance dwindle

League-wide, TicketiQ placed the value of lost ticket revenue in 2020 at $7 billion if no fans can attend NFL games.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[Techster]

 

[GT_EE78]

Article was behind a paywall.
If Citidel isn't Clemson's OOC i guess the winless Akron Zits will have to step up to the plate.
This could give the zits an edge for charging to the front of the Bottom25 again.

 

[RamblinRed]

Mountain West players are the latest to band together

Mountain West athletes release list of 12 demands, which conference says 'are already being addressed'

The Pac-12 and Big Ten have also seen players release demands for the upcoming season.

sports.yahoo.com

Typical list of demands at this point. mandatory testing, extensive cleaning of facilities, no liability waivers, medical coverage, no penalty for sitting out, whistleblower protections.

Also, PAC12 players had their first meeting with league officials last night. Described as 'productive'

Source: Pac-12, #WeAreUnited Players Hold 'Productive Call'

The Pac-12, however, said it won't engage in the demand for a 50% cut of conference revenue.

www.si.com

What has become clear to me this week is that the level of unease among SA's is higher than we thought. Also, based on the demands that have been made by the various groups - including testing being done by third parties, no liability waivers, whistleblower protections, no penalties for sitting out - it is also clear that a good number of SA's do not inherently trust the coaches and administrators to make decisions with the SA's best interest at heart (especially in terms of health decisions).

I expect that all the P5 conferences are going to have to adjust up to the SEC protocols if they expect to play this year.

It is also looking like FCS will move to the spring.
Both the Big Sky and Pioneer announced they are cancelling fall football and Missouri Valley is expected to join them next week - that would put the FCS below the 50% min needed to stage a fall championships. It sounds like the FCS conferences have been talking to each other and are leaning to waiting until spring and then trying to play then if the health situation allows.

FCS members seek to 'spring' forward together

The list of conferences that won't have a fall season due to the COVID-19 pandemic is growing, with the Big Sky and Pioneer League announcing their intentions on Friday and raising a list that includes the CAA, Ivy, MEAC, Northeast, Patriot and SWAC to eight. The Missouri Valley is allowing...

sports.yahoo.com

 

[Techster]

Mountain West players are the latest to band together

Mountain West athletes release list of 12 demands, which conference says 'are already being addressed'

The Pac-12 and Big Ten have also seen players release demands for the upcoming season.

sports.yahoo.com

Typical list of demands at this point. mandatory testing, extensive cleaning of facilities, no liability waivers, medical coverage, no penalty for sitting out, whistleblower protections.

Also, PAC12 players had their first meeting with league officials last night. Described as 'productive'

Source: Pac-12, #WeAreUnited Players Hold 'Productive Call'

The Pac-12, however, said it won't engage in the demand for a 50% cut of conference revenue.

www.si.com

What has become clear to me this week is that the level of unease among SA's is higher than we thought. Also, based on the demands that have been made by the various groups - including testing being done by third parties, no liability waivers, whistleblower protections, no penalties for sitting out - it is also clear that a good number of SA's do not inherently trust the coaches and administrators to make decisions with the SA's best interest at heart (especially in terms of health decisions).

I expect that all the P5 conferences are going to have to adjust up to the SEC protocols if they expect to play this year.

It is also looking like FCS will move to the spring.
Both the Big Sky and Pioneer announced they are cancelling fall football and Missouri Valley is expected to join them next week - that would put the FCS below the 50% min needed to stage a fall championships. It sounds like the FCS conferences have been talking to each other and are leaning to waiting until spring and then trying to play then if the health situation allows.

FCS members seek to 'spring' forward together

The list of conferences that won't have a fall season due to the COVID-19 pandemic is growing, with the Big Sky and Pioneer League announcing their intentions on Friday and raising a list that includes the CAA, Ivy, MEAC, Northeast, Patriot and SWAC to eight. The Missouri Valley is allowing...

sports.yahoo.com

Interesting subtext of which teams that have players who opt out: The unsaid optics that players don't trust certain staffs.

 

[RamblinRed]

This is HS level but updates on HS sports start dates in some states.

4 Southern states moving to delay football regular season

While Georgia left its regular-season football schedule alone this week, choosing instead to cancel scrimmage games, four other Southern states made moves to delay their regular seasons.

www.ajc.com

 

[Techster]

Wholesale conference cancellations beginning to get higher up in the food chain:

 

[Milwaukee]

No weeknight cfb this season fellas. #mac

 

[smokey_wasp]

No weeknight cfb this season fellas. #mac

MAC football in the spring sounds fun, though

 

[RyanS12]

My guy at Eastern Michigan is hearing rumors that P5 might pull the plug soon too. Like I says it’s a rumor he’s hearing around the football program.

 

[Milwaukee]