Is a tectonic change coming to college sports?

[Pakuni]

@dpshow
"From source: If conference can pass updated safety measures and procedures, Big Ten targeting Oct. 10 to start football season." - Dan Patrick

Looks like Dan's sources are confused. This was yesterday.

@dpshow: "The Big Ten Thanksgiving start is a very long shot. More Support for late January and an 8 game schedule..."  Dan has update on why it will be difficult for the Big Ten to come back earlier https://twitter.com/dpshow/status/1300423323181080585/video/1

Anyhow, do you believe the Nebraska AD, who didn't want the season canceled in the first place, is now lying?

[MU82]

@dpshow
"From source: If conference can pass updated safety measures and procedures, Big Ten targeting Oct. 10 to start football season." - Dan Patrick

——

I can imagine the thrill MU82 is having over Trump facilitating this!!!

Facilitating what? Mexico paying for the wall? China ceding the "easy to win" trade war? Health care being "easy to solve"? Keeping the GOP majority in the House? Coronavirus cases going "close to zero within days" because "we have it under control"? Annual GDP growth of 4%? A national plan to fight the pandemic?

Is "facilitating" a synonym for fu@%ing up?

Let us know when something notable has been accomplished regarding the Big Ten football situation. You've floated so many scenarios here, not a single one of which has happened yet.

[Heisenberg]

Facilitating what? Mexico paying for the wall? China ceding the "easy to win" trade war? Health care being "easy to solve"? Keeping the GOP majority in the House? Coronavirus cases going "close to zero within days" because "we have it under control"? Annual GDP growth of 4%? A national plan to fight the pandemic?

Is "facilitating" a synonym for fu@%ing up?

Let us know when something notable has been accomplished regarding the Big Ten football situation. You've floated so many scenarios here, not a single one of which has happened yet.

Seems that I triggered you.

[MU82]

Seems that I triggered you.

Perhaps. It is what trolls live for.

[GooooMarquette]

So the SEC plans to play football, but one star after another opting out. First LSU's top WR, now UGA's starting QB.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/sec/2020/09/02/georgia-quarterback-jamie-newman-opts-out/5696361002/

[Pakuni]

So the SEC plans to play football, but one star after another opting out. First LSU's top WR, now UGA's starting QB.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/sec/2020/09/02/georgia-quarterback-jamie-newman-opts-out/5696361002/

For both, but Chase in particular, it's more about protecting draft status than anything else. He's a lock top 10 - and probably top 5 - pick. With Burrows, Jefferson and Edwards-Helaire all gone from LSU, the only way for him to go was down.
Kids who aren't comfortable playing shouldn't play, of course, but the vast, vast majority are playing.

[GooooMarquette]

For both, but Chase in particular, it's more about protecting draft status than anything else. He's a lock top 10 - and probably top 5 - pick. With Burrows, Jefferson and Edwards-Helaire all gone from LSU, the only way for him to go was down.
Kids who aren't comfortable playing shouldn't play, of course, but the vast, vast majority are playing.

If it was about draft status and nothing else, they would have announced after the end of last season (and maybe just entered last year's draft). The fact that guys are announcing on the eve of the new season seems to point to a different motivation. Maybe it's fear of Covid, the belief that the season will never be completed, or the belief that any games would have an asterisk, but it is not your typical 'guy forgoing his senior season to protect draft status' situation.

[MU82]

The Georgia QB specifically cited the coronavirus in giving his reason for not playing.

[GooooMarquette]

The Georgia QB specifically cited the coronavirus in giving his reason for not playing.

Yep. And here is a 247 article that lists many other opt-outs, many of whom specifically cited COVID as the reason. It was written before Newman opted out at UGA and includes B10 and Pac12 players, but there are plenty of high quality SEC, B12 and ACC players on the list...like Kennedy Brooks at Oklahoma (2200 rushing yards already), Kary Vincent at LSU, and of course Chase.

https://247sports.com/LongFormArticle/College-football-players-who-have-opted-out-of-2020-season-COVID-coronavirus-149853053/#149853053_8

Yeah, there will still be more than enough to field teams. We'll see how long the season lasts....

[Pakuni]

Yep. And here is a 247 article that lists many other opt-outs, many of whom specifically cited COVID as the reason. It was written before Newman opted out at UGA and includes B10 and Pac12 players, but there are plenty of high quality SEC, B12 and ACC players on the list...like Kennedy Brooks at Oklahoma (2200 rushing yards already), Kary Vincent at LSU, and of course Chase.

https://247sports.com/LongFormArticle/College-football-players-who-have-opted-out-of-2020-season-COVID-coronavirus-149853053/#149853053_8

Yeah, there will still be more than enough to field teams. We'll see how long the season lasts....

Wait, wait, wait ... when did I say the draft was the only reason Chase and Newman opted out, or that other players weren't opting out due to COVID?
Whole lot of straw-manning going on here.
Both Chase and Newman specifically cited draft preparation as their focus, and the reporting on Chase in particular said his decision was not COVID-related.

Sources told CBS Sports on Sunday that Chase's decision is not specifically related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather, it is believed agents may have simply convinced Chase to leave before his third collegiate season. NFL rules state a player cannot be drafted until three years after his high school graduation.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/lsu-star-jamarr-chase-the-nations-top-wr-opts-out-of-season-and-will-declare-for-2021-nfl-draft/

As for the season, we'll see. Same doom-and-gloom surrounded MLB and, to a lesser extent, NBA, NHL and MLS. The MLB season was essentially left for dead a few weeks back.

[MU82]

Yep, Pak ... I'm sticking with "we'll see" as my default reaction to any of this stuff.

[The Big East]

Football is a sport where the players  optimize their skills and conditioning with a year off. So instead of taking a beating in the SEC every week, I don't blame the Georgia Quarterback for using the time to improve. He had a solid career at Wake Forest before he transferred, and most likely doesn't need to prove anything more on the playing field. He can now stay relatively isolated and healthy until NFL combine Pro Days etc.   

[Golden Avalanche]

So the SEC plans to play football, but one star after another opting out. First LSU's top WR, now UGA's starting QB.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/sec/2020/09/02/georgia-quarterback-jamie-newman-opts-out/5696361002/

Lots of reasons to withdraw but not having someone like Joe Burrow throwing the ball may have made the decision pretty easy for Chase. 

[GooooMarquette]

Lots of reasons to withdraw but not having someone like Joe Burrow throwing the ball may have made the decision pretty easy for Chase.

And it woulda been easy to tell everyone back in January....

[GooooMarquette]

As for the season, we'll see. Same doom-and-gloom surrounded MLB and, to a lesser extent, NBA, NHL and MLS. The MLB season was essentially left for dead a few weeks back.

Controlling 30-ish professional athletes playing a mostly non-contact sport (MLB) is a LOT easier than controlling 100-ish college kids playing a sport with hand-to-hand combat on every single play. NBA, NHL and MLS are completely different animals, given that they're playing in bubbles.

[Pakuni]

Controlling 30-ish professional athletes playing a mostly non-contact sport (MLB) is a LOT easier than controlling 100-ish college kids playing a sport with hand-to-hand combat on every single play. NBA, NHL and MLS are completely different animals, given that they're playing in bubbles.

Maybe, maybe not. The Marlins, Cardinals and Indians organizations might tell you it's not so easy to control wealthy, young professional athletes over whom you have limited leverage. I'd argue that college coaches can exert more control and hold more leverage over 18-21 year olds.

And if we're being honest, the real threat to exposure for the athletes is when they're away from football activities.

[tower912]

The Penn State study is merely today's tectonic change.

[Pakuni]

The Penn State study is merely today's tectonic change.

Not really, though.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nuance-lost-in-penn-state-doctors-report-on-covid-19-athletes-with-myocarditis-212430060.html

[The Sultan]

If this is the medical advice the B10 followed, that is a shame because it is hardly scientific consensus.  We will see if a season gets played anywhere, but if the other conferences manage to pull this off with the B10 playing in -10 below weather in January, they are going to look quite foolish.

[Pakuni]

Mayo Clinic cardiologist:

@MJAckermanMDPhD: Unfortunately, it is deja vu all over again. I last tossed down the physician's RED FLAG & cried FOUL on this #COVID19 #myocarditis issue on August 11th and now forced to do it again. There is no way that 30-35% of #Athletes with COVID19 have myocarditis.

[Golden Avalanche]

And it woulda been easy to tell everyone back in January....

Not really.

You have to go through spring ball to see what the personnel is and we had delays on that into the summer due to the Covid-19 disaster so the timeframe of August makes total sense for his withdrawal on sporting reasons.

[MUDPT]

Mayo Clinic cardiologist:

@MJAckermanMDPhD: Unfortunately, it is deja vu all over again. I last tossed down the physician's RED FLAG & cried FOUL on this #COVID19 #myocarditis issue on August 11th and now forced to do it again. There is no way that 30-35% of #Athletes with COVID19 have myocarditis.

Heard him on a podcast with an MD who was on the P12 advising committee. Ackerman is right that the German study should not be used in translation to athletes. He also emphasized that everything is a maybe? right now. The P12 MD said he couldn't advise to play, because he was afraid they were going to spread the virus.

[Heisenberg]

What happened to following the science?

Sep 12, 2020
Report: Big Ten Voting On Return of Fall Sports

https://www.si.com/.amp-maryland/college/maryland/football/report-big-ten-voting-return-to-play

Reports on Saturday morning that the Big Ten Return to Competition Taskforce will vote on the return on fall sports as a proposed October 17 start date floats.

[GooooMarquette]

What happened to following the science?

Sep 12, 2020
Report: Big Ten Voting On Return of Fall Sports

https://www.si.com/.amp-maryland/college/maryland/football/report-big-ten-voting-return-to-play

Reports on Saturday morning that the Big Ten Return to Competition Taskforce will vote on the return on fall sports as a proposed October 17 start date floats.

They are following $omething el$e.

[MUDPT]

What happened to following the science?

Sep 12, 2020
Report: Big Ten Voting On Return of Fall Sports

https://www.si.com/.amp-maryland/college/maryland/football/report-big-ten-voting-return-to-play

Reports on Saturday morning that the Big Ten Return to Competition Taskforce will vote on the return on fall sports as a proposed October 17 start date floats.

Things have changed in that conferences (Big 12) have access to rapid antibody testing, so can isolate and contain positives quickly. The morality of B10 teams having access to these and say me (been in hospital rooms of COVID+ patients that literally look at Camp Randall), not having access to rapid testing is a different question.