2020 NCAA Football Thread

[Pyperkub]

Might as well start the new thread with the news that Mark Dantonio is resigning from Michigan State:

Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio has stepped down from his position as the longtime coach of the Spartans program. Dantonio made the surprising announcement on Tuesday afternoon, just one day before National Signing Day takes over the college football world throughout the day on Wednesday. Defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Mike Tressel will serve as the team's interim coach...

...The decision to step down comes at an interesting time. Dantonio is the subject of a lawsuit filed against the school by former Spartans staffer Curtis Blackwell, who is seeking more than $5 million in damages for wrongful termination. In the complaint, Blackwell alleges that Dantonio committed multiple NCAA recruiting violations. Among the allegations are that Dantonio orchestrated employment for the parents of two Michigan State football players with the school's mega-donor Bob Skandalaris. Additionally, the suit claims Blackwell accompanied Dantonio on an in-home visit for a five-star recruit when Blackwell wasn't authorized to conduct an off-campus visit.

[Skinypupy]

Mel Tucker taking the piles of cash MSU threw at him and leaving Colorado after just one year.

https://twitter.com/BruceFeldmanCFB/sta ... 5778331648

BREAKING: #CU coach Mel Tucker has agreed in principle to become the new head coach at #MichiganState, per sources. After Tucker turned down initial interest, MSU power brokers came back repeatedly to Tucker’s reps w/ an offer that was impossible to ignore

Not sure that moves the needle much for either team, tbh. Tucker's Colorado team showed a little more fight this year but was still a bit of a dumpster fire. Can't really pin that on him, but I find it odd for such an unproven commodity to get an "impossible to ignore" type offer. Time will tell, I suppose.

Side note: Talk about "tweets that did not age well", this was Tucker's...from last Saturday.

https://twitter.com/Coach_mtucker/statu ... 3451465728

While I am flattered to be considered for the HC job @MSU_football, I am committed to @CUBuffsFootball for #TheBuild of our program, its great athletes, coaches & supporters. #UnfinishedBusiness #GoBuffs

We are #Relentless #Culture #TheBuild

MSU apparently doubled their original offer in order to get him.

[Isgrimnur]

If someone just offered to double my current salary, there would be a me-shaped cloud of dust in my office chair.

[ImLawBoy]

MSU didn't have much of a choice if they wanted to get a plausible candidate. The position opened up at the worst possible time for a mediocre (to be generous) team with a terrible (also being generous) recruiting class coming in for 2020 in one of the toughest divisions in all of college football and with the specter of potential NCAA violations hanging over them. Not to mention the school has an interim AD with no real sports experience and they're still trying to sort out the various sexual abuse/assault scandals that have festered for years. They were publicly being turned down by everyone they wanted (including Tucker just last week) and people were trying to convince themselves that Bret Bielema would be a good hire. If you want someone good or promising to take this death trap of a job, you were going to need to significantly overpay.

So now Tucker is paid like a top 10 coach despite having one year of college head coaching experience (5-7 last year with Colorado). If MSU is lucky, Tucker will hit the recruiting trail like gangbusters and the fan base will be tolerant of what is likely to be a very poor 2020 season (feel free to bookmark this post in case MSU beats Michigan this year). Maybe then they'll be able to start the rebuild in earnest for the 2021 season. More realistic, I suspect, is that Tucker will be gone in 3-4 years, but Sparty can hope that he at least lays the groundwork for the success of the next coach.

[DOS=HIGH]

Even though there's a ton of money to be lost, I'm starting to get the feeling this college football season will either not happen or end prematurely. At the very least I just don't see how a few Power 5 schools will not end up shutting down the season due to an outbreak. There's too many students and staff involved that can't quarantine themselves for 4+ months to make it work. I know this seems impossible to accept for some schools, but I just think the risks will be to great to ignore. Hope I'm wrong.

[Scuzz]

I don't see how they play games with people in the stands. For many programs that will mean a massive loss of revenue.

[Isgrimnur]

And imagine every level below FBS.

[LawBeefaroni]

1918.

[DOS=HIGH]

And imagine every level below FBS.

I'm already assuming most conferences will bail out by August and the Power 5 conferences trying to make it work since they have so much invested in playing. A conference only schedule with a 16 team Championship Tournament would be interesting. The NCAA would be against it I'm sure since it would put them that much closer to their demise.

1918.

Who can forget the 1919 Rose Bowl when the Great Lakes Navy beat the previously undefeated Mare Island Marines.

[JCC]

I think it is extremely unlikely that the season will be canceled before it starts. No football at all would just be devastating to the budgets of every school in the country with a football program. Their business model has no wiggle room for an entire season of no football. Why would they ever plan for that before now? Now will the CFB season finish? THAT I am far less sure of!

[Pyperkub]

I think it is extremely unlikely that the season will be canceled before it starts. No football at all would just be devastating to the budgets of every school in the country with a football program. Their business model has no wiggle room for an entire season of no football. Why would they ever plan for that before now? Now will the CFB season finish? THAT I am far less sure of!

That depends. 50 positive tests for just players between just 3 power 5 schools (Texas, Clemson, KSU) is really, really bad, IMHO.

Plus Patriot league cancelling games, plus other smaller leagues/schools may not be playing/allowing students on campus (thinking of SDSU, Fresno St, SJSU currently).

[Scuzz]

I heard Tiki Barber on TV yesterday make what seemed like a truly rational comment when he was asked about the prospect of college football this year. After saying that he expected the NFL to play he started with, and I paraphrase, "First, college players don't get paid. Second, you send your kid to college to be in a safe environment. I don't know how much sense it makes to have them playing football when programs are testing positive all across the country."

[Scuzz]

I think it is extremely unlikely that the season will be canceled before it starts. No football at all would just be devastating to the budgets of every school in the country with a football program. Their business model has no wiggle room for an entire season of no football. Why would they ever plan for that before now? Now will the CFB season finish? THAT I am far less sure of!

That depends. 50 positive tests for just players between just 3 power 5 schools (Texas, Clemson, KSU) is really, really bad, IMHO.

Plus Patriot league cancelling games, plus other smaller leagues/schools may not be playing/allowing students on campus (thinking of SDSU, Fresno St, SJSU currently).

I know Fresno State is planning on playing. If for no other reason that the needed revenue. But last I heard there would be no students on campus for the fall semester and if they did play there would probably be no crowds or a very restricted entry system. I think most schools face these problems.

[ImLawBoy]

I think it is extremely unlikely that the season will be canceled before it starts. No football at all would just be devastating to the budgets of every school in the country with a football program. Their business model has no wiggle room for an entire season of no football. Why would they ever plan for that before now? Now will the CFB season finish? THAT I am far less sure of!

That depends. 50 positive tests for just players between just 3 power 5 schools (Texas, Clemson, KSU) is really, really bad, IMHO.

Plus Patriot league cancelling games, plus other smaller leagues/schools may not be playing/allowing students on campus (thinking of SDSU, Fresno St, SJSU currently).

I know Fresno State is planning on playing. If for no other reason that the needed revenue. But last I heard there would be no students on campus for the fall semester and if they did play there would probably be no crowds or a very restricted entry system. I think most schools face these problems.

Michigan flat out said that they wouldn't play if student's weren't on campus. (They are currently planning on having classes.) I'm pretty sure at least some other schools took the same position. It's kind of hard to maintain the illusion of the "student-athlete" if you've removed the "student" element.

[Scuzz]

I think it is extremely unlikely that the season will be canceled before it starts. No football at all would just be devastating to the budgets of every school in the country with a football program. Their business model has no wiggle room for an entire season of no football. Why would they ever plan for that before now? Now will the CFB season finish? THAT I am far less sure of!

That depends. 50 positive tests for just players between just 3 power 5 schools (Texas, Clemson, KSU) is really, really bad, IMHO.

Plus Patriot league cancelling games, plus other smaller leagues/schools may not be playing/allowing students on campus (thinking of SDSU, Fresno St, SJSU currently).

I know Fresno State is planning on playing. If for no other reason that the needed revenue. But last I heard there would be no students on campus for the fall semester and if they did play there would probably be no crowds or a very restricted entry system. I think most schools face these problems.

Michigan flat out said that they wouldn't play if student's weren't on campus. (They are currently planning on having classes.) I'm pretty sure at least some other schools took the same position. It's kind of hard to maintain the illusion of the "student-athlete" if you've removed the "student" element.

Well, if you are taking online classes you are still a student, so I don't see how that logic makes sense. But when you don't feel it is safe to have students on campus then how is it safe to have students in gyms and working out together.

[LawBeefaroni]

But when you don't feel it is safe to have students on campus then how is it safe to have students in gyms and working out together.

Revenue. Tons and tons of revenue makes it ok safe.

[ImLawBoy]

I think it is extremely unlikely that the season will be canceled before it starts. No football at all would just be devastating to the budgets of every school in the country with a football program. Their business model has no wiggle room for an entire season of no football. Why would they ever plan for that before now? Now will the CFB season finish? THAT I am far less sure of!

That depends. 50 positive tests for just players between just 3 power 5 schools (Texas, Clemson, KSU) is really, really bad, IMHO.

Plus Patriot league cancelling games, plus other smaller leagues/schools may not be playing/allowing students on campus (thinking of SDSU, Fresno St, SJSU currently).

I know Fresno State is planning on playing. If for no other reason that the needed revenue. But last I heard there would be no students on campus for the fall semester and if they did play there would probably be no crowds or a very restricted entry system. I think most schools face these problems.

Michigan flat out said that they wouldn't play if student's weren't on campus. (They are currently planning on having classes.) I'm pretty sure at least some other schools took the same position. It's kind of hard to maintain the illusion of the "student-athlete" if you've removed the "student" element.

Well, if you are taking online classes you are still a student, so I don't see how that logic makes sense. But when you don't feel it is safe to have students on campus then how is it safe to have students in gyms and working out together.

Right, because they're not really students. They're athletes who may log into an online class occasionally.

[Pyperkub]

I think it is extremely unlikely that the season will be canceled before it starts. No football at all would just be devastating to the budgets of every school in the country with a football program. Their business model has no wiggle room for an entire season of no football. Why would they ever plan for that before now? Now will the CFB season finish? THAT I am far less sure of!

That depends. 50 positive tests for just players between just 3 power 5 schools (Texas, Clemson, KSU) is really, really bad, IMHO.

Plus Patriot league cancelling games, plus other smaller leagues/schools may not be playing/allowing students on campus (thinking of SDSU, Fresno St, SJSU currently).

I know Fresno State is planning on playing. If for no other reason that the needed revenue. But last I heard there would be no students on campus for the fall semester and if they did play there would probably be no crowds or a very restricted entry system. I think most schools face these problems.

Michigan flat out said that they wouldn't play if student's weren't on campus. (They are currently planning on having classes.) I'm pretty sure at least some other schools took the same position. It's kind of hard to maintain the illusion of the "student-athlete" if you've removed the "student" element.

Well, if you are taking online classes you are still a student, so I don't see how that logic makes sense. But when you don't feel it is safe to have students on campus then how is it safe to have students in gyms and working out together.

Right, because they're not really students. They're athletes who may log into an online class occasionally.

Some of them are. Others will never even sniff being pro athletes and are getting a not-cheap education. Possibly as the first one in their family to go to college.

Additionally, the ones who *may* have a pro future may still be putting their careers in danger, if not their lives.

[ImLawBoy]

I think it is extremely unlikely that the season will be canceled before it starts. No football at all would just be devastating to the budgets of every school in the country with a football program. Their business model has no wiggle room for an entire season of no football. Why would they ever plan for that before now? Now will the CFB season finish? THAT I am far less sure of!

That depends. 50 positive tests for just players between just 3 power 5 schools (Texas, Clemson, KSU) is really, really bad, IMHO.

Plus Patriot league cancelling games, plus other smaller leagues/schools may not be playing/allowing students on campus (thinking of SDSU, Fresno St, SJSU currently).

I know Fresno State is planning on playing. If for no other reason that the needed revenue. But last I heard there would be no students on campus for the fall semester and if they did play there would probably be no crowds or a very restricted entry system. I think most schools face these problems.

Michigan flat out said that they wouldn't play if student's weren't on campus. (They are currently planning on having classes.) I'm pretty sure at least some other schools took the same position. It's kind of hard to maintain the illusion of the "student-athlete" if you've removed the "student" element.

Well, if you are taking online classes you are still a student, so I don't see how that logic makes sense. But when you don't feel it is safe to have students on campus then how is it safe to have students in gyms and working out together.

Right, because they're not really students. They're athletes who may log into an online class occasionally.

Some of them are. Others will never even sniff being pro athletes and are getting a not-cheap education.

No one is worried about the swimmers showing up and going to meets. They're worried about the revenue sports - and those associated revenues - and they really don't care about the athletes who may occasionally log onto a class, whether those athletes will eventually go pro or not.

[JCC]

That depends. 50 positive tests for just players between just 3 power 5 schools (Texas, Clemson, KSU) is really, really bad, IMHO.

I beg to differ. Positive tests in JUNE are preferable. 50 positive tests in October is a disaster - and that may well happen. I wouldn't be surprised if teams are forced to forfeit games or games are canceled. But, I would be stunned if they don't play any CFB at all. That is a college athletics apocalypse they will avoid by any means necessary!

[Pyperkub]

I think it is extremely unlikely that the season will be canceled before it starts. No football at all would just be devastating to the budgets of every school in the country with a football program. Their business model has no wiggle room for an entire season of no football. Why would they ever plan for that before now? Now will the CFB season finish? THAT I am far less sure of!

That depends. 50 positive tests for just players between just 3 power 5 schools (Texas, Clemson, KSU) is really, really bad, IMHO.

Plus Patriot league cancelling games, plus other smaller leagues/schools may not be playing/allowing students on campus (thinking of SDSU, Fresno St, SJSU currently).

I know Fresno State is planning on playing. If for no other reason that the needed revenue. But last I heard there would be no students on campus for the fall semester and if they did play there would probably be no crowds or a very restricted entry system. I think most schools face these problems.

Michigan flat out said that they wouldn't play if student's weren't on campus. (They are currently planning on having classes.) I'm pretty sure at least some other schools took the same position. It's kind of hard to maintain the illusion of the "student-athlete" if you've removed the "student" element.

Well, if you are taking online classes you are still a student, so I don't see how that logic makes sense. But when you don't feel it is safe to have students on campus then how is it safe to have students in gyms and working out together.

Right, because they're not really students. They're athletes who may log into an online class occasionally.

Some of them are. Others will never even sniff being pro athletes and are getting a not-cheap education.

No one is worried about the swimmers showing up and going to meets. They're worried about the revenue sports - and those associated revenues - and they really don't care about the athletes who may occasionally log onto a class, whether those athletes will eventually go pro or not.

Yes they do - APR.

[Pyperkub]

Dennis Dodd today:

From the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, fingers everywhere in college football have been crossed. While intentions to overcome the global pandemic are noble, the approach and methods are -- pardon the pun -- largely untested.

That's why, without a vaccine, college football continues to dodge raindrops. But did anyone think a thunderstorm would hit so quickly? The count is now 100-plus positives among college players across the nation.

That's the count since June 1 when the NCAA allowed voluntary workouts to begin. And that's only the ones the schools have chosen to tell us about.

Later:

one Power Five AD said. "We're going to find out something."

Yeah, but what? Administrators and health professionals are doing their best to shoehorn in a season amid a pandemic. But they are doing so with the most physical, most intimate game in existence.

IMHO, *any* Health Professional trying to shoehorn in a season isn't doing their job.

But...

College football cannot endure a setback. The pandemic has shown the thin financial cliff college athletics teeters on. The mere cancellation of the NCAA Tournament caused an economic upheaval in college sports. With less than two dozen FBS athletic departments actually turning a profit, that was crippling.

Any alteration to the football season would shred the bottom line. The sport accounts for 80% of major-college athletic budgets.

Ohio State as a university has already projected a $300 million loss for fiscal 2020. Notre Dame is projecting to lose $100 million.

Football remains the front porch of major universities. Any damage to that brand is going to have a ripple effect beyond athletics. There has been speculation that entire institutions may shutter if there is no football this season.

[Scuzz]

I think it is extremely unlikely that the season will be canceled before it starts. No football at all would just be devastating to the budgets of every school in the country with a football program. Their business model has no wiggle room for an entire season of no football. Why would they ever plan for that before now? Now will the CFB season finish? THAT I am far less sure of!

That depends. 50 positive tests for just players between just 3 power 5 schools (Texas, Clemson, KSU) is really, really bad, IMHO.

Plus Patriot league cancelling games, plus other smaller leagues/schools may not be playing/allowing students on campus (thinking of SDSU, Fresno St, SJSU currently).

I know Fresno State is planning on playing. If for no other reason that the needed revenue. But last I heard there would be no students on campus for the fall semester and if they did play there would probably be no crowds or a very restricted entry system. I think most schools face these problems.

Michigan flat out said that they wouldn't play if student's weren't on campus. (They are currently planning on having classes.) I'm pretty sure at least some other schools took the same position. It's kind of hard to maintain the illusion of the "student-athlete" if you've removed the "student" element.

Well, if you are taking online classes you are still a student, so I don't see how that logic makes sense. But when you don't feel it is safe to have students on campus then how is it safe to have students in gyms and working out together.

Right, because they're not really students. They're athletes who may log into an online class occasionally.

I think that is a cynical view that doesn't always apply today. If you want to say they will cheat and have someone else do the work for them then how does that really differ from a live class. Student athletes (yea, I know) are required to hit certain standards now or they don't play and their school can lose scholarships. This has effected basketball perhaps more than football (because of the small team size) but it is a thing. Graduation rates have some effect.

Also, with the pandemic pro leagues are changing and college players have to think a little different, especially the juniors and sophomores this year.

[Jaymann]

And this will likely lead to more basketball players skipping college altogether and going to Europe or developmental leagues.

[JCC]

College football cannot endure a setback. The pandemic has shown the thin financial cliff college athletics teeters on. The mere cancellation of the NCAA Tournament caused an economic upheaval in college sports. With less than two dozen FBS athletic departments actually turning a profit, that was crippling.

Any alteration to the football season would shred the bottom line. The sport accounts for 80% of major-college athletic budgets.

Ohio State as a university has already projected a $300 million loss for fiscal 2020. Notre Dame is projecting to lose $100 million.

Football remains the front porch of major universities. Any damage to that brand is going to have a ripple effect beyond athletics. There has been speculation that entire institutions may shutter if there is no football this season.

And THAT is why I say the CFB season will start! They may not be able to finish, but they will do their absolute best to finish. Their economic existence hinges on football being played EVERY FALL. They can't afford to take a year off. If they aren't able to finish the season (which I think is a possibility) it will be catastrophically devastating for college athletics.

[Scuzz]

College football cannot endure a setback. The pandemic has shown the thin financial cliff college athletics teeters on. The mere cancellation of the NCAA Tournament caused an economic upheaval in college sports. With less than two dozen FBS athletic departments actually turning a profit, that was crippling.

Any alteration to the football season would shred the bottom line. The sport accounts for 80% of major-college athletic budgets.

Ohio State as a university has already projected a $300 million loss for fiscal 2020. Notre Dame is projecting to lose $100 million.

Football remains the front porch of major universities. Any damage to that brand is going to have a ripple effect beyond athletics. There has been speculation that entire institutions may shutter if there is no football this season.

And THAT is why I say the CFB season will start! They may not be able to finish, but they will do their absolute best to finish. Their economic existence hinges on football being played EVERY FALL. They can't afford to take a year off. If they aren't able to finish the season (which I think is a possibility) it will be catastrophically devastating for college athletics.

If they can't get at least a good chunk of their football money you will see schools having to drop sports because after losing March Madness money a lot of schools are already in trouble.

[Pyperkub]

College football cannot endure a setback. The pandemic has shown the thin financial cliff college athletics teeters on. The mere cancellation of the NCAA Tournament caused an economic upheaval in college sports. With less than two dozen FBS athletic departments actually turning a profit, that was crippling.

Any alteration to the football season would shred the bottom line. The sport accounts for 80% of major-college athletic budgets.

Ohio State as a university has already projected a $300 million loss for fiscal 2020. Notre Dame is projecting to lose $100 million.

Football remains the front porch of major universities. Any damage to that brand is going to have a ripple effect beyond athletics. There has been speculation that entire institutions may shutter if there is no football this season.

And THAT is why I say the CFB season will start! They may not be able to finish, but they will do their absolute best to finish. Their economic existence hinges on football being played EVERY FALL. They can't afford to take a year off. If they aren't able to finish the season (which I think is a possibility) it will be catastrophically devastating for college athletics.

If they can't get at least a good chunk of their football money you will see schools having to drop sports because after losing March Madness money a lot of schools are already in trouble.

Balanced against a class action lawsuit, maybe not.

[Isgrimnur]

The state schools will get bailed out by their governments. The big private schools will be fine. The small ones may not be.

[Scuzz]

The state schools will get bailed out by their governments. The big private schools will be fine. The small ones may not be.

I don't know how many state schools will get bailed out. Many states are in trouble right now short of the feds bailing them out. And state schools in California don't stand a chance in hell of getting their athletic programs bailed out.

[Scuzz]

College football cannot endure a setback. The pandemic has shown the thin financial cliff college athletics teeters on. The mere cancellation of the NCAA Tournament caused an economic upheaval in college sports. With less than two dozen FBS athletic departments actually turning a profit, that was crippling.

Any alteration to the football season would shred the bottom line. The sport accounts for 80% of major-college athletic budgets.

Ohio State as a university has already projected a $300 million loss for fiscal 2020. Notre Dame is projecting to lose $100 million.

Football remains the front porch of major universities. Any damage to that brand is going to have a ripple effect beyond athletics. There has been speculation that entire institutions may shutter if there is no football this season.

And THAT is why I say the CFB season will start! They may not be able to finish, but they will do their absolute best to finish. Their economic existence hinges on football being played EVERY FALL. They can't afford to take a year off. If they aren't able to finish the season (which I think is a possibility) it will be catastrophically devastating for college athletics.

If they can't get at least a good chunk of their football money you will see schools having to drop sports because after losing March Madness money a lot of schools are already in trouble.

Balanced against a class action lawsuit, maybe not.

I am not sure what you mean. It's not like athletics are guaranteed, and many schools have already guaranteed a year on scholarships without the student having to perform. Now if you mean cheaper than students sueing over the schools forcing them to compete in unsafe conditions, it's probably a wash short of students dying. You have to show damages and the damages would be pretty specific in that case.

[ImLawBoy]

I think it is extremely unlikely that the season will be canceled before it starts. No football at all would just be devastating to the budgets of every school in the country with a football program. Their business model has no wiggle room for an entire season of no football. Why would they ever plan for that before now? Now will the CFB season finish? THAT I am far less sure of!

That depends. 50 positive tests for just players between just 3 power 5 schools (Texas, Clemson, KSU) is really, really bad, IMHO.

Plus Patriot league cancelling games, plus other smaller leagues/schools may not be playing/allowing students on campus (thinking of SDSU, Fresno St, SJSU currently).

I know Fresno State is planning on playing. If for no other reason that the needed revenue. But last I heard there would be no students on campus for the fall semester and if they did play there would probably be no crowds or a very restricted entry system. I think most schools face these problems.

Michigan flat out said that they wouldn't play if student's weren't on campus. (They are currently planning on having classes.) I'm pretty sure at least some other schools took the same position. It's kind of hard to maintain the illusion of the "student-athlete" if you've removed the "student" element.

Well, if you are taking online classes you are still a student, so I don't see how that logic makes sense. But when you don't feel it is safe to have students on campus then how is it safe to have students in gyms and working out together.

Right, because they're not really students. They're athletes who may log into an online class occasionally.

I think that is a cynical view that doesn't always apply today. If you want to say they will cheat and have someone else do the work for them then how does that really differ from a live class. Student athletes (yea, I know) are required to hit certain standards now or they don't play and their school can lose scholarships. This has effected basketball perhaps more than football (because of the small team size) but it is a thing. Graduation rates have some effect.

Also, with the pandemic pro leagues are changing and college players have to think a little different, especially the juniors and sophomores this year.

Cynical? Absolutely! Wrong? I don't think so. I've long since given up the illusion of true student athletes (even as I somewhat hypocritically maintain that my alma mater is somehow better than most). When even high level institutions like North Carolina are basically making up academic departments to get their athletes by the the "standards", I don't think it's unreasonable to question the entire effort.

College football cannot endure a setback. The pandemic has shown the thin financial cliff college athletics teeters on. The mere cancellation of the NCAA Tournament caused an economic upheaval in college sports. With less than two dozen FBS athletic departments actually turning a profit, that was crippling.

Any alteration to the football season would shred the bottom line. The sport accounts for 80% of major-college athletic budgets.

Ohio State as a university has already projected a $300 million loss for fiscal 2020. Notre Dame is projecting to lose $100 million.

Football remains the front porch of major universities. Any damage to that brand is going to have a ripple effect beyond athletics. There has been speculation that entire institutions may shutter if there is no football this season.

And THAT is why I say the CFB season will start! They may not be able to finish, but they will do their absolute best to finish. Their economic existence hinges on football being played EVERY FALL. They can't afford to take a year off. If they aren't able to finish the season (which I think is a possibility) it will be catastrophically devastating for college athletics.

Do you think that college athletics will simply disappear if they can't play a season this year? They'll figure things out and come back next year. Hell, maybe things will even somehow improve.

[Scuzz]

I think it is extremely unlikely that the season will be canceled before it starts. No football at all would just be devastating to the budgets of every school in the country with a football program. Their business model has no wiggle room for an entire season of no football. Why would they ever plan for that before now? Now will the CFB season finish? THAT I am far less sure of!

That depends. 50 positive tests for just players between just 3 power 5 schools (Texas, Clemson, KSU) is really, really bad, IMHO.

Plus Patriot league cancelling games, plus other smaller leagues/schools may not be playing/allowing students on campus (thinking of SDSU, Fresno St, SJSU currently).

I know Fresno State is planning on playing. If for no other reason that the needed revenue. But last I heard there would be no students on campus for the fall semester and if they did play there would probably be no crowds or a very restricted entry system. I think most schools face these problems.

Michigan flat out said that they wouldn't play if student's weren't on campus. (They are currently planning on having classes.) I'm pretty sure at least some other schools took the same position. It's kind of hard to maintain the illusion of the "student-athlete" if you've removed the "student" element.

Well, if you are taking online classes you are still a student, so I don't see how that logic makes sense. But when you don't feel it is safe to have students on campus then how is it safe to have students in gyms and working out together.

Right, because they're not really students. They're athletes who may log into an online class occasionally.

I think that is a cynical view that doesn't always apply today. If you want to say they will cheat and have someone else do the work for them then how does that really differ from a live class. Student athletes (yea, I know) are required to hit certain standards now or they don't play and their school can lose scholarships. This has effected basketball perhaps more than football (because of the small team size) but it is a thing. Graduation rates have some effect.

Also, with the pandemic pro leagues are changing and college players have to think a little different, especially the juniors and sophomores this year.

Cynical? Absolutely! Wrong? I don't think so. I've long since given up the illusion of true student athletes (even as I somewhat hypocritically maintain that my alma mater is somehow better than most). When even high level institutions like North Carolina are basically making up academic departments to get their athletes by the the "standards", I don't think it's unreasonable to question the entire effort.

I won't argue with you that the NCAA is corrupt.

[JCC]

Do you think that college athletics will simply disappear if they can't play a season this year? They'll figure things out and come back next year. Hell, maybe things will even somehow improve.

I think a LOT of college athletics will simply disappear, yes - particularly outside of the power 5 but not only outside of the power 5. We are talking about businesses going bankrupt. That is how dependent universities and their athletic departments are on CFB.

[Isgrimnur]

The non-scholarship sports will disappear long before college football comes close to being on the chopping block.

[Scuzz]

The non-scholarship sports will disappear long before college football comes close to being on the chopping block.

Schools have hundreds of scholarships in non-revenue sports. Part of that is Title 9 and part of it conference requirements. But I could several scholarship sports that schools consider non-essential disappearing in massive budget cuts.

[JCC]

The non-scholarship sports will disappear long before college football comes close to being on the chopping block.

Title 9 as mentioned elsewhere complicates just cutting things that aren't profitable.

I am not in any way saying CFB is going to die if they don't play this year. But, MANY athletic departments and colleges will have SEVERE problems if the CFB season is not completed. That's whay I continue to assert that they will at least START the season if it is at all possible for them to do so. And they won't cancel it unless things get very dire - which may well happen. But I don't think that point of no return will be hit before Labor Day.

Just this idiot's opinion!

[JCC]

But I don't think that point of no return will be hit before Labor Day.

Just this idiot's opinion!

And one week later, I find myself wavering. So many southern (and other) states are having huge spikes in the virus. I still *think* the season will start, but I am no longer 100% certain it will. Man if CFB isn't played that would be a perfect way to cap this shit-show of a year.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

There's no real way they can safely play this season. Even the NBA is wavering about their plan to finish the season and taking about every precaution possible (testing every day, isolating all the teams in one area, etc.). That isn't to say that the NCAA won't play any games, but it's going to be a shitshow.

[pr0ner]

There's no real way they can safely play this season. Even the NBA is wavering about their plan to finish the season and taking about every precaution possible (testing every day, isolating all the teams in one area, etc.). That isn't to say that the NCAA won't play any games, but it's going to be a shitshow.

The US is about to lose all of the NHL's playoff games to Canada!

[Skinypupy]

Utah football decided today to reinstate Defensive Coordinator Morgan Scalley, who was suspended last month after it was discovered he used the n-word in a text message to a recruit in 2013. He is taking a 50% pay cut ($1.1 million to $525K) and has had the "coach in waiting" tag removed (which I was surprised to hear was an "official" designation from the administration).

Prior to the news coming out, Scalley was considered the absolute, 100%, no-brainer choice to suceed Whittingham at Utah. Grew up here, played here, coached here, and probably knows this program better than anyone outside of Whit himself. He's a great coach, but obviously that severe lack in judgement was very problematic, at best. Hoping that he can learn and grow from the experience and it sounds like a one-time major fuck-up, rather than a pattern of behavior. As one of the other coaches put it, "Scalley thought he was part of a club that he absolutely was not".

I was a little surprised they kept him, tbh. Will be interesting to see if/what recruiting fallout comes from this decision.

EDIT: Even more surprised after reading the actual report, which details additional problematic behaviors.