Spring Football 2021?

[DFW HOYA]

An interesting bit of "informed speculation" from someone who would know.

So...could your school pull this off?

https://247sports.com/Article/Chris-Fowler-details-college-footballs-potential-new-start-date-146000180/

[Go Green]

Dartmouth certainly could. We have space. It would take logistical planning, but it's certainly doable.

Can't speak for some of our Ivy brethren (especially the urban schools).

[Professor Chaos]

Hard to see a February start working for numerous MVFC schools that play outdoors and will have a season starting in the middle of winter. Maybe we could just have NDSU, UND, USD, and UNI have all home games???

[Go Green]

Hard to see a February start working for numerous MVFC schools that play outdoors and will have a season starting in the middle of winter. Maybe we could just have NDSU, UND, USD, and UNI have all home games???

EVERYTHING, and I mean EVERYTHING will be on the table.

I actually suggested Spring Football on the Ivy Board a few weeks ago. The consensus response was "too difficult." I replied that it's amazing how seemingly impossible problems can be resolved when the fixers are highly motivated.

I agree with Fowler that an ordinary start to 2020 Fall is unrealistic. I hope that a delayed start happens. But it's looking more and more like the options are 1) Spring 2021 football or 2) no football until Fall 2021.

[POD Knows]

Hard to see a February start working for numerous MVFC schools that play outdoors and will have a season starting in the middle of winter. Maybe we could just have NDSU, UND, USD, and UNI have all home games???February in Illinois and Missouri can actually be pretty decent from a weather standpoint, SDSU is kind of the wildcard here.

[Professor Chaos]

February in Illinois and Missouri can actually be pretty decent from a weather standpoint, SDSU is kind of the wildcard here.
Just re-work the schedule so one of the SD schools is always on the road (or on bye) each week and they both play their home games in Verm-town.... all the SDSU students go down there for Dakota Days already don't they???

[TheKingpin28]

EVERYTHING, and I mean EVERYTHING will be on the table.

I actually suggested Spring Football on the Ivy Board a few weeks ago. The consensus response was "too difficult." I replied that it's amazing how seemingly impossible problems can be resolved when the fixers are highly motivated.

I agree with Fowler that an ordinary start to 2020 Fall is unrealistic. I hope that a delayed start happens. But it's looking more and more like the options are 1) Spring 2021 football or 2) no football until Fall 2021.The Ivy League would have to play in the playoffs for football as basketball would run concurrent and they would no longer have the excuse that it would "disrupt" their academic studies. Doubt they will want to give up that excuse.

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[DFW HOYA]

I agree with Fowler that an ordinary start to 2020 Fall is unrealistic. I hope that a delayed start happens. But it's looking more and more like the options are 1) Spring 2021 football or 2) no football until Fall 2021.

But if you can't justify football in the fall, how do you justify classes at all? Or what if it's not just 2020? A lot of schools aren't prepared for the loss of revenues, and even Dartmouth didn't have the idea of no room and board charges on its books TFN.

[Seahawks Fan]

I doubt that the football season can start in September. The winter 2021 scenario sounds like the most realistic option (assuming the virus does not reappear).

[Go Green]

But if you can't justify football in the fall, how do you justify classes at all? Or what if it's not just 2020? A lot of schools aren't prepared for the loss of revenues, and even Dartmouth didn't have the idea of no room and board charges on its books TFN.

Those are different questions as to whether Dartmouth could feasibly play a football season in the Spring (we could).

And yeah-weather could be an issue in New Hampshire as well. Fortunately, Dartmouth is putting the finishing touches on an indoor practice facility. I'd hate to be (among others) a Cornell, UNH, or Maine player practicing outside in January or February...

[DFW HOYA]

Those are different questions as to whether Dartmouth could feasibly play a football season in the Spring (we could).

And yeah-weather could be an issue in New Hampshire as well. Fortunately, Dartmouth is putting the finishing touches on an indoor practice facility. I'd hate to be (among others) a Cornell, UNH, or Maine player practicing outside in January or February...

Here's the Georgetown indoor practice facility...for every sport:

https://www.hoyasaxa.com/sports/traditions/images/mcdonough2.jpg

[Go Green]

Here's the Georgetown indoor practice facility...for every sport:

https://www.hoyasaxa.com/sports/traditions/images/mcdonough2.jpg

I'm not intimately familiar with every Northeast/Mid-Atlantic school's campus. But I'm guessing that schools like Fordham are in the same boat.

Playing football in the Spring will be very difficult for some schools. Let alone transferring all Fall sports to the Spring...

[Bill]

But if you can't justify football in the fall, how do you justify classes at all? Or what if it's not just 2020? A lot of schools aren't prepared for the loss of revenues, and even Dartmouth didn't have the idea of no room and board charges on its books TFN.

Not sure if you saw this, but Boston University has warned students and staff (today) that coming back to campus this fall may not be happening...

[dgtw]

Playing football in the spring would cause problems for basketball. It would take a lot of planning to make sure both teams aren’t at home on the same day.

Not an issue for FCS, but how will the networks cover both sports?


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[DFW HOYA]

Playing football in the spring would cause problems for basketball. It would take a lot of planning to make sure both teams aren’t at home on the same day.
Not an issue for FCS, but how will the networks cover both sports?


Not just basketball, but potentially other fall sports as well up against the spring schedules. As to TV, they would move more teams to OTT and would welcome the ratings.

It would be different (two seasons in 2021!) but sure beats the alternative.

[NY Crusader 2010]

Not just basketball, but potentially other fall sports as well up against the spring schedules. As to TV, they would move more teams to OTT and would welcome the ratings.

It would be different (two seasons in 2021!) but sure beats the alternative.

Agreed. I think the ability to have a football season at all will vastly overshadow the jockeying of TV schedules and facility use that will have to take place to accommodate both fall and spring sports happening at the same time. I could also see the Spring 2021 Football schedules looking a bit different than what's currently on paper for Fall 2020. Schools will come up with reasons why they can't travel to or host X, Y and Z on certain dates. Some schools might end up playing 12 games, others 10, etc. If this shift takes place a foresee a hodgepodge.

My HOPE for what happens assuming major flattening of the curve over the spring/summer:

With numerous institutions already hinting at the fact that fall return to campus may not happen, perhaps later start dates to the spring semester could happen. Here's what I would consider -- students return to campus across the board by Columbus Day. The traditional month-long winter break is shortened to a few days before Christmas with students returning to class Monday January 4th. First semester finals are held around MLK Day with students starting the spring semester by roughly Monday February 1st after another short break. Then maybe you scrap spring break and go straight through to May or have second semester exams a week or two later in May than usual. As far as fall sports are concerned, with regular students returning roughly Columbus Day, perhaps allow fall athletes only to return in mid-September with games starting Saturday October 3rd. NESCAC-style schedule -- 8 conference games and that's it. Conferences with 8 teams or less like the Ivy, Patriot of Big South could perhaps schedule a couple impromptu non-conference games to fill up open dates. FBS independents might be forced to all just play each other....Notre Dame wouldn't be happy with my scenario clearly.

[Go Green]

It would be different (two seasons in 2021!) but sure beats the alternative.

In case it wasn't clear to folks, THIS is the alternative to not having a football season:

https://www.actionnewsjax.com/sports/university/ABHPCXDC6JEFQ2I4R5UUG6HWPQ/

Expect more....

[ST_Lawson]

A football-basketball "double-header" could be fun (if your school has it's football stadium fairly close to the basketball arena). Football at noon, basketball at 4.

Western has the same parking lot for both, so I could see something like a 2-for-1 promotion, where you buy a football ticket and get into the basketball game for free.