Update: B1G News
1st thread: https://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/b1g-presidents-and-ads-meet-tomorrow
2nd thread: https://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/update-b1g-adspresidents-meeting
Update from today, not very insightful compared to other days IMO.
Everyone knows the news, no need to rehash. Here are some things.
- Still no decision on when to start the season (as of 5pm today), if it's divisional games only (seems unlikely), and if its 9 games or 10 (TV may be a factor).
- I mentioned this is about control and flexibility, if you notice in the press release they specifically mention two committees of health professionals. Right now the recommendation is to play with those neck things that you can pull up over your mouth and the new full facemasks. This is just one example of why this decision was made. Another interesting one, what to do if someone tests positive on the road and can't travel back with the team (answer: that (home) B1G team has to treat the player like he is on their team, so someone could theoretically be isolated on the road in a dorm or hotel until he is safe to travel back to his school). The list is going to be long, but that is exactly the point. I can't wait to see all of the rules and policies they put in place. But those two groups are leading this in a big (err B1G) way.
- Most schools right now are planning for 15-25% capacity. But that could go down in a hurry. They'll play with no fans if they have to.
- They intentionally mixed football in with other fall sports in the press release (listed in alphabetical order), but they also intentionally left out sports like golf and tennis. Fall sports are likely to keep their normal report times (early August) and have their seasons pushed back. Football on the other hand is already on campuses, so they could start on time if they wanted. The recruiting dead period is still in effect.
- Schools will absolutely make this voluntary for all student-athletes and they'll keep their scholarships. That was a mandate from the AD/President meetings. BUT it is highly unlikely anyone gets extra eligibility unless he or she has a redshirt year. Speaking of which, the football redshirt rule will come from the NCAA not the B1G, which is going to be hard if different conferences do different things, it may move to a % of total games this year...for the B1G, that would likely mean 3 games and keep your redshirt (instead of 4).
- A lot of schools will still offer some classes on campus, so it won't JUST be student-athletes. But one person per dorm, less traffic in dining halls, classes that "have" to be face-to-face like labs. Maybe on-campus 1 or 2 days per week or every other week. They'll get creative and I don't think anyone is going to let political pressure factor in, especially if there is a change in November (which is before the end of fall semesters, so I don't think there is much of a rush to react to the threat).
- Just something random I thought of...Volleyball players slap hands and scream in each others faces after every point, that is going to be interesting to see that sport try to change what to them feels like human nature. Anyway, I really think they're going to give this a go (at least until student-athletes have a party together and there are positive tests across sports, then, more YouTubing old games for me, I'm watching all the wins for 2019 now, that Maryland win wasn't as frustrating as it felt when it happened).
Of course whatever they say tomorrow could be completely different by Monday.
Just wear a mask. Professionals do this all day long and are still living.
If you need government to hold your hand, hide in the basement.
But it’s all scratchy and stuff
tbh id rather just die
I may be misunderstanding your point, but most professionals don't block and tackle each other and end up on top of one another in piles. The rate of transmission on a football field will be higher than in most professional settings.
Which is why wearing a mask should be a priority.
Oh sure. I wasn't disagreeing there.
Really? You don't? Your job sounds boring. :)
Right??? He probably wears a white shirt, dark pants, thin tie, and has horn-rimmed glasses and a pocket protector. What a nerd...
I'll be back later, gotta go get some more Sex Panther...
This all seems reasonable. Wonder what they will do to prevent people gathering for "tailgates". I assume they will close the golf courses/pioneer. Even if stadium capacity is limited or non existent, I imagine people will still congregate around the stadium on Saturdays.
Totally agree. With capacity limited, people will also likely have massive watch parties. I would stay away, but the 4th of July weekend proved that people will gather and party.
Massive, eh...like you and a buddy?
I cannot believe based on some of your takes on other threads, that you believe a football season is even a good idea, or that you believe it might still happen.
Huh? Care to explain?
We're leaving together, But still it's farewell And maybe we'll come back To earth, who can tell? I guess there is no one to blame We're leaving ground (leaving ground) Will things ever be the same again? It's the final countdown The final countdown Oh We're heading for Venus (Venus) And still we stand tall 'Cause maybe they've seen us (seen us) And welcome us all, yeah With so many light years to go And things to be found (to be found) I'm sure that we'll all miss her so It's the final countdown The final countdown The final countdown The final countdown Oh The final countdown,oh It's the final count down The final countdown The final countdown The final countdown Oh It's the final count down We're leaving together The final count down We'll all miss her so It's the final countdown It's the final countdown Oh It's the final countdown, yeah
Very real chance all sports moved to spring
I think yes, but not for football and cross country.
I know some B1G men's and women's soccer and volleyball coaches WANT to play in the spring. Not sure about Field Hockey.
Cross Country is year around, so I think they'd try to stick to the fall in some type of modified capacity.
Golf and tennis are fine, you can socially distance pretty easily in those sports and the roster sizes are small. Those sports biggest challenge is going to be getting their international players back into the country.
I'm just assuming the fall ITA schedule gets cancelled for tennis. Then they can start with trying to play a full schedule in 2021 and drop OOC matches if travel is still an issue. The spring break trips probably get cancelled as well in order to save money.
Yeah - XC is the tricky outlier since most SA's participate in T&F in the spring....but from what I am hearing - they prefer not to risk it....Football at the high D1 level may be too arduous a task to move to spring....should know more soon.
When nothing has changed by Spring....what then? Many are optimistic that there will not be a vaccine soon for reasons best left unsaid, many others who wont take a vaccine that may he available soon due to safely concerns, and the fact that many persons dont maintain antibodies to covid even in the immediate period post infection making an effective vaccine at any point unlikely.
"to play with those neck things that you can pull up over your mouth "
I have seen the extra shields for helmets...not sure what this is. Anyone got a picture? How would they work with a helmet on?
This might refer to a neck gaiter. It’s essentially a tube, instead of a mask with loops over your ears. I wear a gaiter while coaching baseball, and the gaiter doesn’t cause my sunglasses to fog up as they do when I wear my masks.
I'm assuming it would look like the thing they wear in cold weather. Turtle neck mouth cover.
yes, that's it...I was just too lazy to look it up and I didn't know the correct spelling. Didn't want to "bare with me" it up.
We have a bunch of those. I wear it over my proper mask as an additional layer of protection.
So when teams are playing in 85 degrees in September and wearing the full facemask with a neck gaiter, how much harder is it going to be for them to breathe?
I have to assume we'll see players subbing out more because of this.
subbing out or passing out. can you imagine the average 1-tech or 3-tech down on the floor of an astroturf stadium where it's 100 degrees playing with that preventing his breathing? can you say 'cardiac arrest'?
This is part of the reason that I really wish they would just not play in the current environment with the current prevailing narrative. Players covering their mouth with cloth in 90 degree weather without any passageway to breath, blocked by a plastic barrier is not safe. It could be life threatening. Subjecting these kids to regular invasive testing procedures to allow them to play when they don't have any symptoms of illness in not acceptable. Having players travel far distances with the prospect of being left at their destination for indeterminate periods of time geographically away from team, family, friends is not acceptable either.
Please, people, don't support this. This should not happen.
Yeah, it's going to be brutal. If they play, everything this year will be about depth - with cases popping up and players needing to sit, as well as needing to sub constantly due to face coverings.
I am/was part of a running club (cancelled in the last month due to Covid) and I went out to run with the mask on in 90 degree temperature - it was brutal. I can usually do a nice paced 3-5 mile jog with a little sprint at the end without much difficulty breathing or cramping. I was absolutely spent after 1.5 miles in the mask. I'm guessing that is what asthma feels like - breathing was just impossible. The second I took the mask off, it felt like a new life.
BH, i exercise a fair amount and that includes cardio. i can't imagine a reason that i'd wear a mask while running unless i was running through skunk dens. why did you wear it?
(and if i'm not too nosey, what kind of demographic are you: age, co-morbidities, etc.)
Xtra, It’s a run club Of about 50 people, and even though it’s outdoors People are constantly passing each other, rubbing arms as they bump each other, and sweat and heavy breathing is all over. I’m in my mid 30’s, most of the other runners are 25-55. I have no co-morbidities that I know of. TBH, it was mostly out of respect to the older runners who I tried to avoid anyways.
I now run alone outside and don’t Feel the need to wear a mask. But I prefer the experience of running in a group, but that will need to wait I guess.
got it. thanks for sharing. i am lucky, i have my own 'running club' here at home if i feel like running with people.
enjoy your runs. the heat finally broke, but not the humidity, up here.
Easy solution: Make FOX do all games. With 500 commercials a quarter, there will be plenty of breaks.
Seriously though, I do see the need for added official TOs. Heavier guys, lots of exertion, less immediate airflow, and the potential for slight gaiter pressure to cause a runny nose—it might be necessary to spread out, change gear, catch breaths, etc. more often.
well, that will help reduce the Wisconsin and Michigan State's dirty ass intentional face mask grabs.
What kind of odds would you need to take the yes side of a “the big ten will complete a 9 or 10 game season this fall” bet?
I love sports. If we are defining sports as a "need" we are indeed most pitiful.
I think this is showing us we don't. This has shown us that sports and entertainers are definitely in the non-essential category.. If there's no sports this year, people will wake up to that and it will decimate the sports industry
OT: Snowflakes Covid?
99.9% chance an announcement will be made soon that most if not all of D2 transitions to spring - those who can logistically handle it
Wow, that's nearly the same chance you have of surviving covid.
Speaking of watching 2019 games...anyone know where I can find last years ND and PSU games?
Both are on YouTube. I just pull up the app on my TV and stream it.
I've watched ND and MSU each like 4 times...I need football.
I watched 78-0 Rutgers last week. It's bad.
I've been watching soccer a bit and when they score, half the team joins a big group hug as they all yell and scream. And why wouldn't they? They're all playing and practicing together, they're young and getting tested frequently.
If they're on the field they have to assume they're going to get it if anyone has it so why act differently?
Don't hug and scream in the coaches and refs faces and everyone will be fine. Which makes me realize the refs are probably the only people to really worry about though all this.
Playing with empty stadiums is the way to go if there’s any season at all. It’s one more variable and logistical nightmare that can simply be removed. Yes, it is possible to have fans, but the headache and expense are not likely to be worth it.
most of the hurdles are around players, staff, and their safety and how to handle infections when they happen. Adding a crowd to the mix only complicates an already over complicated situation.
in other words, I’m hoping their focus is on figuring out how, if possible, to just have the games played and televised. If they can figure that out, then move on to having fans if it looks like that would be feasible, somewhere down the line.
Outdoor stadiums can, very safely, be at 1/4 capacity.
True but I think the whole point of the B1G going conference only would be to level the playing field (pun intended) across the conference. So either everyone can have some fans, or nobody can.
The obvious safest choice between the two is no fans.
The NCAA could play a (good) significant role in setting common standards to mitigate safety concerns.
They should but so far all they've done is punt responsibility.
The lack of NCAA-wide guidelines is in some sense remarkable. It is a parasite and little else. I don't see how they can say they exist to serve student athletes.