Will There Be a 2020 Football Season?

[Undone]

9 minutes ago, hunter49 said:

if they do try to play in the spring, the height of flu season, how is that safer in a dome stadium?

playing at a dome location to counter bad weather is a non starter, if fans are going to be allowed.

so you can kiss the spring season good bye.

this will be a continuing mess for months on end.

 

Yep. Absolutely can't take a plan for a January start seriously. And Nebraska won't be playing any games this fall.

 

There are only two main questions that loom for me right now:

 

1. Will any other conferences actually play some games?

 

2. Will the public settle into an agreement that COVID is endemic and thus the B1G agrees to play a full season next year, or will the fear of liability be just as great next August as it is now?

[suh_fan93]

21 minutes ago, knapplc said:

 

Shatel has been doing this since the 1990s. He's one of the main reasons I've never gotten a print subscription to the OWH. Jeff Sheldon's work with the VB team earned them my digital subscription, but you can't pay me to read Shatel's ramblings.

 

It kills me how well-regarded he is among Nebraska sports journalists. Same with Barfknecht. 

 

Sean Callahan who's Husker coverage I love and will still follow has been enjoying his time grabbing the low hanging fruit as well.  He was looving the Karen Warren narrative.  That and his weekly 'Covid update'.  Woof.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[WyoHusker56]

4 minutes ago, Undone said:

 

Yep. Absolutely can't take a plan for a January start seriously. And Nebraska won't be playing any games this fall.

 

There are only two main questions that loom for me right now:

 

1. Will any other conferences actually play some games?

 

2. Will the public settle into an agreement that COVID is endemic and thus the B1G agrees to play a full season next year, or will the fear of liability be just as great next August as it is now?

 

I believe that Green said something about thinking an October start was possible if the other three conferences are playing successfully at that point. So, I don't think games this fall is completely out, but unlikely nonetheless.

 

Also, even if it does become endemic by next fall there will likely be more tolerance for the virus because immunity levels will be higher, treatments will be more advanced, testing capacity will be much increased, a potential vaccine still exists and we'll have a much better understanding of the virus. Also, I don't think the consensus is that it becomes endemic for sure. A lot of the latest research is suggesting there may be longer term immunity to the virus than previously thought and even immunity from other coronavirus infections providing protecting. It has also so far evolved and mutated slowly. So, this leaves the possibility that between natural immunity and a successful vaccine the virus could be slowed significantly or stopped.

[Undone]

10 minutes ago, WyoHusker56 said:

Also, even if it does become endemic by next fall there will likely be more tolerance for the virus because immunity levels will be higher, treatments will be more advanced, testing capacity will be much increased, a potential vaccine still exists and we'll have a much better understanding of the virus. Also, I don't think the consensus is that it becomes endemic for sure. A lot of the latest research is suggesting there may be longer term immunity to the virus than previously thought and even immunity from other coronavirus infections providing protecting.

 

I agree with all of this, and to the bold I posted here about the article in the research paper 'Cell' about T-cell immunity. I'm in the camp of saying we need to protect the vulnerable and simultaneously attempt to go back to normal.

 

But after seeing how so many people have been fear-mongered this year I'm not taking anything for granted and I'm not counting on common sense winning the day as far as football is concerned even for the 2021 season.

 

That could easily be an overly pessimistic take, but that's where I'm at.

[WyoHusker56]

23 minutes ago, Undone said:

 

I agree with all of this, and to the bold I posted here about the article in the research paper 'Cell' about T-cell immunity. I'm in the camp of saying we need to protect the vulnerable and simultaneously attempt to go back to normal.

 

But after seeing how so many people have been fear-mongered this year I'm not taking anything for granted and I'm not counting on common sense winning the day as far as football is concerned even for the 2021 season.

 

That could easily be an overly pessimistic take, but that's where I'm at.

 

Based on the B1G's response so far, I can't argue with that, ha.

[knapplc]

48 minutes ago, suh_fan93 said:

 

Sean Callahan who's Husker coverage I love and will still follow has been enjoying his time grabbing the low hanging fruit as well.  He was looving the Karen Warren narrative.  That and his weekly 'Covid update'.  Woof.  

 

 

I think well of Callahan in general and would not classify him with the low-hanging fruiters of the Husker reporting world, but I would agree that in this calendar year his narrative has been a little questionable. 

[Wistrom Disciple]

41 minutes ago, WyoHusker56 said:

I believe that Green said something about thinking an October start was possible if the other three conferences are playing successfully at that point. So, I don't think games this fall is completely out, but unlikely nonetheless.

 

Gotta wonder when exactly that decision would be made. These programs have tamped down camps and essentially stopped everything. Would have to imagine it would take them 3-4 weeks of camp to get the padded practices in and engines going. 

 

If the ACC slate doesn't start until mid-September, you would presume that they would need to prove 2+ weeks that it is sustainable which is then October. Big Ten teams then ramp up and play in November? Maybe but I think if there is any chance the Big Ten plays football in 2020, they would need to make a decision within the next ten days. As the letter yesterday demonstrated, they are not indicating any changes and will sit idly for the next four months or at least until public sentiment about the virus reduces. Either way, our conference looks bad and we can do nothing about it.

[TGHusker]

Green puts  to bed the rumored group of 5 rouge Univs trying to patch a fall schedule together.  

It seems pretty likely that the winter schedule is and will be the only plan.

 

One question I have:  Even with the goal to complete the winter season prior to NFL draft, will most players with potential early draft possibilities choose to bypass the winter schedule?   My thinking would be that why would they risk injury so close to the draft date.  It is one thing to get injured early, mid and even late in the fall season as one can measure their recovery, it is another to be injured on the eve of the draft.  I would think many would skip the winter season and work on conditioning and prepare for the NFL combine.

 

So that leads to question # 2:  NU, without high profile draft picks, will this give us the edge in some of those winter games?  OSU will loose possibly Fields and others .  However OSU is typically stacked so it may not matter.(kind of like our B team in the1994-97 years could beat most A teams out there)..  But it might make a difference against  Wisc, Iowa, Minny,  & others. 

 

https://hailvarsity.com/s/9960/green-there-was-absolutely-a-vote-on-big-ten-decision

 

---

Quote

 

Was there a vote to postpone fall sports in the Big Ten? University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Ronnie Green confirmed that a vote did take place in an interview with KLIN on Wednesday.

Green’s comments came shortly after Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren released an open letter. While Warren’s letter did not say much about the vote, he did say it took place among the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors and that it “was overwhelmingly in support of postponing fall sports and will not be revisited.” Green confirmed the vote.

“As that decision was made, it was the Council of Presidents and Chancellors that made that decision,” he said.

While the vote was not unanimous—and Green would not confirm who voted in what way—he did say “it was an overwhelming consensus.” Nebraska, however, did feel ready to play.

"We were very clear on that,” Green said.

Could the Big Ten change its mind in October if other conferences are able to move forward? Maybe, but there are currently no plans. In fact, when asked directly if Green thought whether or not Nebraska would play football this fall, he wasn’t confident in it happening.

"I think the odds of that are very low, but we're in uncharted territory,” Green said.

Green confirmed that Coach Scott Frost is on the Big Ten's Return to Competition Taskforce. Athletic Director Bill Moos is on a subcommittee that handles scheduling. The coaches and athletic directors have been working on scheduling options in the Big Ten for winter and spring since last week.

While he put to rest the rumor that a group of five or six Big Ten programs might put together a schedule for fall without the rest of the conference, he did appear optimistic about a January restart. Word started circulating on Wednesday about the potential of an eight-week schedule in the Big Ten that would begin in January.

"The big question initially was how are we going to have players compete in two seasons in one year?” he said.  “. . . There's a growing level of enthusiasm [a winter season] could work."

 

 

[suh_fan93]

 

[Undone]

4 minutes ago, suh_fan93 said:

 

 

Super unfortunate for this young guy. 

 

From a "should football be cancelled" standpoint, I'm interested in the contract tracing of his case (if any exists). Meaning:

 

1. Where did he potentially contract COVID?

- and -

2. Has he spread it to teammates?

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

Every morning I read about the upcoming NFL season. Players who need to step up this season. Injuries and replacements. New players and new contracts. What teams are expected to compete in the division. Coaches talking about the tough roster cuts. 

 

Zero discussion about whether the season will be played, and no mention of the coronavirus except in passing. 

 

I get the difference between students and professionals, and University Presidents and Owners, but playing the sport is either a needless danger, or it's not. 

[hunter49]

67 NFL guys are sitting out the season, the rest have decided it is an occupational hazard, with risks being a personal choice.

 

for me i could care less who plays in the National Felons league, i won't be watching them kneeling or the multiple anthems, 

a political stunt, not football.

 

[nic]

I get that COVID is more contagious than other viruses, but many viruses and other infections we deal with today can cause heart issues correct?  Is the number of heart issues caused from COVID much worse than other viruses because of what the virus does, or just because COVID is more prevalent right now? 

[hunter49]

and as for college football in the spring, it will be a pony league with the high draft picks sitting out. no reputable agent is gonna advise his stars to risk injury, just prior to the draft, as many have said. a makeup schedule with constant traveling will be a covid nightmare.

[Omaha fan]

At the end of the day it’s not going to matter a hill of beans if the sec or big12 play football this fall or not, Kevin Warren will never be fired.

 

If the big10 fires Warren, the leagues presidents will look bad for hiring the wrong person for the job. They will never admit to doing that in masse. Also as the First black power5 commissioner, any firing is going to come under a huge amount of scrutiny and negative press. For better or worse, He’s here until he wants to leave.
 

Nevermind that yesterday’s announcement came from minneapolis And not the big offices in Chicago. I did see an update on the fact that now 71 percent of our athletes are registered to vote, so got that big weight off our shoulders thank goodness.

 

looking forward to seeing what Brohm comes up with for our spring schedule.