Blue and Joe

July 9th, 2020 at 3:16 PM ^

This all just feels like deju vu to be honest. It's like the conference tournaments back in March. No one wanted to cancel. First, it was no fans allowed. Then things changed quickly and it got canceled, but not after everyone was already there. Feels like the same thing is gonna happen. They'll make changes but eventually things will get canceled. Again, it will be too late, after tons of possible infection points have already occurred. We learn nothing.

Nickel

July 9th, 2020 at 3:27 PM ^

Yeah, I feel like this is the schools wanting to play and wanting to come up with what they feel is a safer framework, but the infections are going to pop up and it's going to be clear they can't keep 100+ players and coaches and support personnel virus-free. At that point they'll finally cancel the fall season.

I Like Burgers

July 9th, 2020 at 3:42 PM ^

As shitty as it is, the decision makers are at the point where they have to decide wether or not some likely COVID infections that they may get through football related activities and frankly may get through non-football related personal activities are worth cancelling many, many scholarship, laying off dozens of employees, and the loss of millions of dollars.  Not an easy choice.

Keeping the football season may ruin some lives.  Dropping the football season is 100% going to ruin A LOT of lives.

OfficerRabbit

July 9th, 2020 at 3:58 PM ^

Great comment. For those worried 2021 is in jeopardy, I have no doubt* that a positive C-19 test in July of 2021 is going to be received very differently than a positive test in 2020.

* Not science-based by any means, just can't imagine public perception will remain the same a year from now.. too many economic and social costs associated with cancelling everything to "save all the lives". 

I Like Burgers

July 9th, 2020 at 4:48 PM ^

Exactly. If the decision had to be made free of anything else, its a no-brainer to cancel it.  But it's not.  Because of the way things are set up, everything is tied to football, and not having football is a devastating decision.

It's like having your house on fire, and the only phone to call the fire department is currently electrified.

Lionsfan

July 9th, 2020 at 3:33 PM ^

Yeah it feels like they're just trying to buy time and hope that we get things manageable

They'd have to rework the exact schedule details, but you could conceivably start team practices around Labor Day, and then run a 9 conference game season from October 3rd to Thanksgiving.

TrueBlue2003

July 9th, 2020 at 4:08 PM ^

The conference tourneys all came crashing down within a few days and when we had no testing capability and no idea how widespread this thing was or anything.

If they can't get this together for a conference only thing, it'll be a huge failure.  European soccer leagues aren't having issues.  This shouldn't be that hard but you're right, we seem to not be learning anything here.

Mpfnfu Ford

July 9th, 2020 at 4:44 PM ^

We're just repeating the stages of grief with a different sport. This conference only move is just the bargaining phase. Denial stage was when people thought a vaccine would magically fall out of a fuckin hot air balloon by July. Anger phase was when idiots like Joel Klatt would do bits on FS1 hollering about defeatists who want to keep people from enjoying their beloved sport. Now we're back to bargaining. Depression will hit when its October and we're having to watch Rugby Union from New Zealand with Smiths records on.

I dunno when Acceptance happens or what it even looks like.

MgoHillbilly

July 9th, 2020 at 5:41 PM ^

I'd say most are still in the denial and anger phases based on the responses here to the foreign student attendance deportation thread from the other day.  Anger about policy along with belief that it'll actually impact a season yet to occur.

Anecdotally, spoke to a woman today who sounded like she was dying. Turns out she was just screwed up after recovering from the virus.  My cousin also died from it a couple weeks back.

WGoNerd

July 9th, 2020 at 3:21 PM ^

To be fair, they could announce their plans so there is at least a template and schedule for play in case they can but there may still be a low chance of the season happening.

If we've learned nothing the last 4-5 months it's that this situation is constantly evolving.

FauxMo

July 9th, 2020 at 3:30 PM ^

Right, sure. And I suppose, theoretically, that any season ever could have or could be cancelled by catastrophic unforeseen circumstances. I take this to mean that, like every other year for the last 137 years, the plan today is to play football. If people start dropping 20K per day from the virus - or if, theoretically, the Yosemite Supervolcano erupts for the first time in 1 million years and covers the continent in a meter of molten ash - plans will change :-)

Mr Miggle

July 9th, 2020 at 6:06 PM ^

Yes. Even if the Big Ten presidents and ADs thought there was no chance of playing they wouldn't announce it today, not without agreement with other power conferences.

The statement was if they play, it will be conference games only. That's not signaling a lot of confidence in their plan. But just imagine what would happen to their rosters if they had canceled the season outright.

No one seriously believed Michigan was going to play in Seattle on Labor Day weekend. It was time to move past that and announce something.