The Rest of College Football

[THE_WIZARD_]

The NFL has come out and said they are planning on a full season AND preseason AND full stadiums. Iowa Fucking State wants to come out and say 50% in Ames? Hell that's more than they normally get. Where are the additional fans coming from?

[Dr. Strangelove]

Some rare CFB news...Notre Dame & Navy were supposed to open the season in Ireland. That's now canceled and the game will instead be held for the first time ever at Navy's on-campus stadium.

[lineygoblue]

28 Clemson football players have tested positive for COVID-19. None have required hospitalization. In addition, 8 staff have tested positive.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29336227/21-clemson-football-players-positive-covid-19-latest-testing

[iam416]

It’s smart. Players will have sit if they get COVID. Dabo is making sure his whole team gets it before the season starts.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Dabo is a genius...like Wile E. Coyote, Esq.

[WM Wolverine]

Einstein level genius.

[THE_WIZARD_]

U.S. Grant genius...

[Dr. Strangelove]

My hopes for a college football season are fading but even if it does get played, a lot of games are likely to be canceled. I don't know if they're the first to announce restrictions, but the Patriot League has set conditions that would basically wipe out all their non-conference games (athletes will not be allowed to return to campus earlier than the general student body) and no teams shall take flights to games. This would include the abhorrent Bucknell wastrels and scurrilous Colgate blackguards.

https://www.si.com/college/2020/06/22/patriot-league-football-non-conference-fbs-games

[Hannibal]

It makes sense not to pack stadiums full of 100,000 fans but playing the games for TV in front of smaller crowds should work. Cancelling games outright is a panic response.

[lineygoblue]

It makes sense not to pack stadiums full of 100,000 fans but playing the games for TV in front of smaller crowds should work. Cancelling games outright is a panic response.

IF the season is played, I'd expect to see Michigan Stadium at around 30% capacity, which would accommodate Whitmer's demands for social distancing. That would put attendance at around 32-35K. That's still enough to make some noise, but the crowd shots will be sparse.

And, IF there is a season, I don't think we'll see any OOC games, either home or away.

Just today, Gretch said that she's already backtracking on putting Michigan into Step 5, which would have lifted more of the restrictions. She said there has been a surge in new cases in Michigan, and she's likely to hold off "based on the data available".

Of course, college football as we know it could be run out of business completely if it gets associated with 'institutional racism" or 'white supremacy".

[Jeff Buchanan]

I thought the cancellation of Presidential debates in October was predictive of how M will approach crowds for any on campus events including football ...... piecing together information, I think Lines is about right with the 30% occupying the big house. How schools that have outbreaks among athletes who have returned fro training handle them is going to be critical. The over-all US surge is definite negative factor for a return to CFB in any form.

Outside the BT and esp. in the SEC it seems like presidents are high on a return of students to campus which includes some blend of classroom and on-line learning. I've seen plans that seem reasonable for dorm life if not risky. SEC ADs are talking about CFB in the fall like will be happening. It seems like mid-July is going to be decision time with public announcements showing up then for both on campus sports and student life. So far, spokespersons are being circumspect about what will actually happen.

[Hannibal]

I don't see why OOC games are considered riskier than conference games, but whatevs.

[lineygoblue]

I don't see why OOC games are considered riskier than conference games, but whatevs.

I think the distances traveled may have something to do with it. For instance with Michigan scheduled to travel to Seattle would mean a traveling party of upwards of 150 people, including players, coaches, their wives, school representatives, and other invited guests. All those people have to be fed, and need hotel accommodations, plus seating at the stadiums for the off field personnel.

Conference games tend to be closer in distance, and some teams may actually be able to make a day trip to play the games. For instance, Michigan COULD go to East Lansing in the early morning, and return the same day, with no hotel stay, if that were necessary. Purdue and Indiana could do that, as could NW and Illinois, etc. Others would not have it so easy, but on an average conference games don't have as much travel issues.

I guess we'll see. I think Michigan v Washington is absolute toast. I see < 5% chance that gets played.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Shaddup

[lineygoblue]

Shaddup

Hey, .. I promise ... when I get my Covid vaccination, the first real road trip I'll take, will be to Nebraska try an order of the 7th best wings in the state.