Paul Finebaum Warns COVID-19 Could 'Blow College Football up Forever'

[Coach Andy Mac]

Speaking to ESPN's First Take on Tuesday, Finebaum suggested college football faced a lose-lose scenario.

"The next two weeks could be the most important two weeks in the history of college football because either way they go, the decision could be cataclysmic," he said.

"If they decide not to play, they will lose hundreds of million of dollars and many athletic departments will not exist and if they foolishly go ahead without having the facts and without having any sort of protocol in place, which right now I'm afraid they don't have, they could blow up this sport forever.

"It is a Sophie's choice ... and the political conversation on either side is not going to make any difference. ... While everything else is going on, the NFL, the MLB and the NBA, the most difficult decision lies in the hands of people who run college football."

read more: 

https://www.newsweek.com/paul-finebaum-says-college-football-faces-crucial-two-weeks-1517864

 

[southsideguy]

I am afraid you will have to choice from your favorite P-5 school is this drags on.   I will not have a favorite P-5 school.

[El Paso Eagle]

Somehow the P5 conferences will use this to further separate themselves for the G5 schools.  Could see a reshuffle of P5 conferences with a new P4 where some of the current P5's might not still be there when this is over.

[wardly]

I agree. The separation between have and have not's will really expand with no fall sports. 

[MeanGreenTexan]

1 hour ago, wardly said:

I agree. The separation between have and have not's will really expand with no fall sports. 

I think, if anything, it will expose the pretenders at every level.  Think about schools like MSSt & IASt who likely rely heavily on outside monies (TV money & football ticket money) to get by.    They’re going to be in serious trouble.  Whereas a school like NT gets by breaking even because we don’t have huge TV deals or huge ticket sales.
Silver lining for us CUSA schools & our measly TV deals I guess.   Wow, all this time, Judy was playing chess while these other conferences were playing Money Grab....   kudos Judy, kudos to your foresight.

[97and03]

I know it likely wasn’t intentional but the author’s choice of words points out how much we overvalue sports. Good lord, I love college football. I really do.

But to me calling it Sophie’s choice is a little ridiculous. This isn’t choosing which child dies, it’s football. 
 

Otherwise his point is valid. And although we don’t rely on TV revenue we do probably rely on game day revenue. So if they move forward with fanless games, we probably take a huge hit. 

[MeanGreenTexan]

8 hours ago, 97and03 said:

I know it likely wasn’t intentional but the author’s choice of words points out how much we overvalue sports. Good lord, I love college football. I really do.

But to me calling it Sophie’s choice is a little ridiculous. This isn’t choosing which child dies, it’s football. 
 

Otherwise his point is valid. And although we don’t rely on TV revenue we do probably rely on game day revenue. So if they move forward with fanless games, we probably take a huge hit. 

Oh, don't get me wrong, I know NT relies on ticket sales for revenue. 
I'm just saying I doubt there's a ton of profit after paying security, concessions workers, cleaning crews, etc... especially since the students already pay their share regardless due to the athletics fee.   
I can't see playing football games to empty stands.   I bet we either don't play, or play to 1/2-capacity stadiums.

[RBP79]

At this time in Texas it's 50% capacity of stadiums/ sports venue. It's going to depend on which side ( those schools who want to play vs schools who want to remain shut down) puts the most pressure on conference leadership.

Judy has never been ahead of any curve since taking over leadership of CUSA and it want start now.

[MrAlien]

with the current situation, I just dont see how they can play college football... with the NBA and NHL they are able to isolate the players in a protected space (a bubble) with the leagues covering the costs of containment and COVID testing.  Now the MLB is going to play in empty stadiums, and travel, with testing and limited interaction... so we will have a better idea of how COVID will spread with a traveling sports team in about 3 weeks.  With college football, how would the schools be able to safely isolate players and staff through out a season?

[TheTastyGreek]

1 hour ago, MrAlien said:

With college football, how would the schools be able to safely isolate players and staff through out a season?

[greenminer]

It's really only the linemen which are at risk.  Less than 6 feet from left to right, plus the person immediately in front of them.

This seems like a good time to talk about the A-11 philosophy (again).  Someone in California may have been (unfortunately) ahead of his time.

[wardly]

I am not a lawyer, but I saw DMN article on SMU's Women's Basketball where players were required to sign a "hold harmless" agreement with the University absolving them of blame should a player catch the Virus while participating this season. In addition, part of the agreement stated that the player assumed all financial responsibility for medical cost over and above coverage provided by SMU's insurance. One player refused to sigh this agreement and I believe was told not to return until she did.[ I have slept since article was published]. Regardless, I don't believe we will have fall sports because of liability issues if nothing else. There is no way football/basketball player can wear a mask or social distance, and as more young Americans contract and die from the Virus it is apparent that while geezers like me are more at risk youth is not a deterrent .

[DallasGreen]

If non conference is cancelled we lose $1.4 million on A & M guarantee. This is where ALL other sports realize FB drives the bus. None can survive w/o their share of FB revenue. This could easily be the end of college athletics at CUSA level. As far as end of pandemic, it seems to only get worse with winter surges promised that will eclipse the present. I am 73 and spoke with my internist who is about five years younger and he felt neither of us will see COVID-19 eradicated in our lifetime. Welcome to your new normal compliments of Peoples' Republic of China --germ warfare division.

[ttunt1970]

I second your statement Dallas Gr

and if people think we know the extent this you’re dreaming and thank the RED CHINA!

[MGNation92]

China teaming up with the interdimensional child molesting vampire Clintons to conspire against the American people. It's all a hoax people. WAKE UP. FIRST THEY TURN THE FRIGGIN FROGS GAY AND NOW THE WUFLU. WHAT'S NEXT

 

[MeanGreenTexan]

1 hour ago, DallasGreen said:

If non conference is cancelled we lose $1.4 million on A & M guarantee. This is where ALL other sports realize FB drives the bus. None can survive w/o their share of FB revenue. This could easily be the end of college athletics at CUSA level. As far as end of pandemic, it seems to only get worse with winter surges promised that will eclipse the present. I am 73 and spoke with my internist who is about five years younger and he felt neither of us will see COVID-19 eradicated in our lifetime. Welcome to your new normal compliments of Peoples' Republic of China --germ warfare division.

We would also save $500k on the HBU guarantee.    If $900k breaks UNT athletics, we were pretenders anyway.

[RBP79]

If Big 12 plays and aTm and NT are state supported universities why would we cancel. State sez 50% capacity. Judy I'm sure would throw a fit.....but hey...who at this point cares what Judy wants..

 

[MrAlien]

if they play then they will have to expect COVID cases among players &teams... lets say 1 player tests positive the Thursday before a game, hows the opposing team going to feel about playing that game, know that player has been exposed to everyone else on the team they are about to play?   or what happens when 20 players test positive the morning of a game, will that game still happen?  how long will players need to quarantine? 

Perhaps they should scrap the whole season, and start planning for college basketball, they have enough time to put a plan in place for hoops but they need to start now.

[UNT 90 Grad]

13 hours ago, RBP79 said:

If Big 12 plays and aTm and NT are state supported universities why would we cancel. State sez 50% capacity. Judy I'm sure would throw a fit.....but hey...who at this point cares what Judy wants..

 

Just curious where you got this info.  Do you have a link?  I just can't find this on the state's website.  Closest I can find regarding the latest executive order (Executive Order 29) reads as though they still aren't allowed to play at all as of now (see PDF link below).  Not saying that's the case, just looking for something in writing.

https://open.texas.gov/uploads/files/organization/opentexas/OpenTexas-Checklist-Outdoor-Sports.pdf

Thanks in advance.

Edited July 21, 2020 by UNT 90 Grad
Typo

[DallasGreen]

If FB does not play forget BB and al women's sports. They all depend on FB to survive!

[Wag Tag]

Tulsa drops football and focuses on BB. Maybe?

[Aquila_Viridis]

If they cancel stuff this year they may as well cancel it next year and the year after that and so on and on. All that the canceling is doing is delaying the inevitable.

[TheTastyGreek]

Nobody needs guarantee game money to make their budgets work than SWAC schools. 

As of an hour ago, they're out of the Fall Sports game entirely. 

https://swac.org/news/2020/7/20/general-swac-releases-statement-regarding-fall-sports-competition.aspx

[MCMLXXX]

2 hours ago, DallasGreen said:

If FB does not play forget BB and al women's sports. They all depend on FB to survive!

If football is not played in the fall and men’s BB is played I believe our men’s BB would be self sufficient.

[97and03]

12 hours ago, greenminer said:

It's really only the linemen which are at risk.  Less than 6 feet from left to right, plus the person immediately in front of them.

This seems like a good time to talk about the A-11 philosophy (again).  Someone in California may have been (unfortunately) ahead of his time.

I know our defense was bad, but I think we still tackle.