Report: Patriot League to cancel all fall sports [Archive]

Professor

July 13th, 2020, 11:20 AM

Another domino has fallen in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic canceling college sports. According to multiple reports (https://twitter.com/NYPost_Brazille/status/1282684770405822464), the Patriot League will announce Monday that it will cancel all fall sports.
The league will become the second to cancel fall sports after the Ivy League did so last week (https://247sports.com/Article/Ivy-League-officially-cancels-2020-fall-sports-could-play-in-spring-148939904/). Like the Ivy League, the Patriot League will reportedly attempt to play football (https://twitter.com/NYPost_Brazille/status/1282684770405822464) in the spring. The Patriot League’s announcement, unlike the Ivy’s, will reportedly not include (https://twitter.com/NYPost_Brazille/status/1282684770405822464) anything about winter sports.

While this is discouraging news for fans that want to see FBS football played this fall, a decision by the FCS Ivy League teams does not directly impact what the FBS teams will do this fall. One would assume that would also be the case after the Patriot League’s decision. According to 247’s Brandon Marcello (https://247sports.com/Article/Sources-Power-5-college-football-conference-not-optimistic-season-will-start-on-time-due-to-COVID-19-coronavirus-148928398/), which included talking to an FBS administrator, the decision, “simply doesn’t affect us.”

https://247sports.com/Article/Patriot-League-cancels-fall-sports-college-football-2020-season-COVID-19-149103835/

Laker

July 13th, 2020, 11:23 AM

It is official- no fall sports for the Patriot, and no decision on winter sports yet.

https://patriotleague.org/news/2020/7/13/general-patriot-league-announces-decisions-surrounding-fall-sport-season.aspx

Bill

July 13th, 2020, 11:31 AM

Uggh...not terribly surprising, but uggh nonetheless!

DFW HOYA

July 13th, 2020, 11:31 AM

Time for the associate members to start looking for a new home.

Bill

July 13th, 2020, 11:35 AM

DFW - you saw that part about Army and Navy too, huh? xnodx

DFW HOYA

July 13th, 2020, 11:38 AM

There is a big difference between a league not scheduling games among its members and telling associate members you cannot play. Schools should make this decision, not commissioners.

A five team Patriot League would be defunct as far as conferences go. Other than LFN, would they care?

Derby City Duke

July 13th, 2020, 11:43 AM

The caveat for the academies is no surprise. Both are FBS and Navy, I would presume, will take their cue from the American.

DFW HOYA

July 13th, 2020, 11:45 AM

No caveat for Georgetown and Fordham. They go down with the ship.

And the ship be sinking.

aceinthehole

July 13th, 2020, 11:49 AM

Time for the associate members to start looking for a new home.

The NEC is waiting for that call ...

DFW HOYA

July 13th, 2020, 11:52 AM

The NEC is waiting for that call ...

If Georgetown University or Fordham University want to postpone or cancel sports, I'm 100% fine with it. For someone else to tell them they can't compete, that's wrong.

dgtw

July 13th, 2020, 12:04 PM

I’m not clear on this. Did the Patriot tell Georgetown and Fordham they can’t play football at all?

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BEAR

July 13th, 2020, 12:06 PM

Maybe we'd better keep track of those teams ACTUALLY playing...xlolx

DFW HOYA

July 13th, 2020, 12:07 PM

I’m not clear on this. Did the Patriot tell Georgetown and Fordham they can’t play football at all?

Apparently so.

Original_RMC

July 13th, 2020, 12:12 PM

The NEC is waiting for that call ...

I'll be watching for that announcement as well.

Sader87

July 13th, 2020, 12:21 PM

Totally expected once the Ivies pulled the plug....I highly doubt there will be any FCS play this Fall.

DFW HOYA

July 13th, 2020, 12:23 PM

Totally expected once the Ives pulled the plug....I highly doubt there will be any FCS play this Fall.

The PL will driving itself out of existence in football by simply following the orders from Princeton. And no one else will be there to pick up the pieces.

dgtw

July 13th, 2020, 12:28 PM

This wipes out 30 OOC games, though some were probably already gone when the Ivy pulled the plug.

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Sader87

July 13th, 2020, 12:36 PM

The PL will driving itself out of existence in football by simply following the orders from Princeton. And no one else will be there to pick up the pieces.

Methinks you doth protest too much....FCS football, save for a few outliers, is really not that a big of a deal for many schools... particularly in the Northeast today.

The PL schools in general have football programs to facilitate alumni and student events on campus...not to necessarily have nationally strong programs...if fthat does happen occasionally, it's just icing on the cake.

DFW HOYA

July 13th, 2020, 12:38 PM

Methinks you doth protest too much....FCS football, save for a few outliers, is really not that a big of a deal for many schools... particularly in the Northeast today.

The PL schools in general have football programs to facilitate alumni and student events on campus...not to necessarily have nationally strong programs...if fthat does happen occasionally, it's just icing on the cake.

Perhaps this will wake up Fordham and Georgetown to the nature of this "What Dr. Bacow says, we dutifully oblige" conference.

Go Green

July 13th, 2020, 12:45 PM

Apparently so.

To be clear, it appears that the PL is also going to revisit the issue of Spring Competition at a later date (just like the Ivy).

DFW HOYA

July 13th, 2020, 12:49 PM

To be clear, it appears that the PL is also going to revisit the issue of Spring Competition at a later date (just like the Ivy).

Not happening. What Lawrence Bacow says, the PL dutifully follows. Why???????

Sader87

July 13th, 2020, 12:51 PM

Perhaps this will wake up Fordham and Georgetown to the nature of this "What Dr. Bacow says, we dutifully oblige" conference.

It's been evah thus since the Colonial League was formed in the mid-80s....not sure what you (or GTown) expected.

DFW HOYA

July 13th, 2020, 12:55 PM

It's been evah thus since the Colonial League was formed in the mid-80s....not sure what you (or GTown) expected.

We expected more. This (football) league is going to collapse on itself just like the MEAC.

OhioHen

July 13th, 2020, 12:55 PM

For Georgetown and Fordham, this would only impact football as their other sports are in other conferences.

The exception for Navy and Army in other sports is interesting as they ARE in the Patriot for most sports, but not football.

Go Green

July 13th, 2020, 12:57 PM

Not happening. What Lawrence Bacow says, the PL dutifully follows. Why???????

Well, you guys *did* hold your men's basketball championship game the day after the Ivy League canceled its tournament.

March 10: https://ivyleague.com/news/2020/3/10/general-ivy-league-cancels-basketball-tournaments-limits-spectators-at-all-sporting-events.aspx

March 11: https://patriotleague.org/news/2020/3/11/no-3-boston-university-claims-first-patriot-league-mens-basketball-championship-3-11-20.aspx

So...

aceinthehole

July 13th, 2020, 01:44 PM

I’m not clear on this. Did the Patriot tell Georgetown and Fordham they can’t play football at all?

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That's not how I read the release. Fordham and Georgetown are associate members of the PL Football and there will be no league play. However, nothing indicates they can't play non-conference games if they can't put together a schedule - which will be nearly impossible.

Fordham
9/26 - at Monmouth
10/10 - at Wagner
11/7 - vs. Georgetown (non-conf)

These are both day-trips and can be played if both side agree.

Georgetown
9/5 - at Marist
9/12 - vs. Dayton
11/7 - at Fordham (non-conf)
11/21 - at San Diego

I just don't see Dayton keeping their trip to D.C., nor will GU take the flight to San Diego.

DFW HOYA

July 13th, 2020, 01:52 PM

That's not how I read the release. Fordham and Georgetown are associate members of the PL Football and there will be no league play.

From the Georgetown athletic director's comments, emphasis added: "Today, the Patriot League announced the decision to not engage in competition for the fall season. This conference-wide decision will impact our football and women's rowing programs. Words cannot express the sadness I feel for our student-athletes who have worked tirelessly to achieve their dreams. We will continue to support them through these difficult times and remain steadfast and committed to preparing for when we can all safely return to the Hilltop.”

Sader87

July 13th, 2020, 01:54 PM

We expected more. This (football) league is going to collapse on itself just like the MEAC.

More what exactly?

Sadly, it's not the 1980s anymore. Colgate at HC isn't drawing 20K at Fitton like it did then. Colgate and HC aren't perennial FCS Top 10 teams anymore .

The college football world has changed since then...it's not like GTown signed on for a league like the CAA which allows red-shirting, full scholarships etc.

Again, not really sure what you expected with the Hoyas in the PL that you haven't seen.

aceinthehole

July 13th, 2020, 01:59 PM

From the Georgetown athletic director's comments, emphasis added: "Today, the Patriot League announced the decision to not engage in competition for the fall season. This conference-wide decision will impact our football and women's rowing programs. Words cannot express the sadness I feel for our student-athletes who have worked tirelessly to achieve their dreams. We will continue to support them through these difficult times and remain steadfast and committed to preparing for when we can all safely return to the Hilltop.”

I don't disagree the Patriot League's unilateral decision "will impact" Georgetown football and Women's rowing due to the loss of a league schedule. But, if the Hoyas could find 7 or more non-conference opponents (as nearly impossible as that might be), how is the PL preventing them from playing those games? Again, I didn't read that in the PL statement.

NY Crusader 2010

July 13th, 2020, 02:01 PM

As aceinthehole pointed out, the release is very difficult to inerpret (surprise, surprise coming from PL brass). I ASSUMED the obvious that the PL has no jurisdiction as to whether Army or Navy play FBS football, but am surprised that they appear to open the door for the academies to continue to play other fall sports under which they compete in the Patriot League.

Why not just say "all PL-sponsored games and competitions are cancelled but individual institutions -- both full-time members and affiliates -- can choose to participate in out-of-conference games/meets/matches at their own discretion"?

Go Green

July 13th, 2020, 02:11 PM

Colgate and HC aren't perennial FCS Top 10 teams anymore .

Although they had some problems last season, Colgate has done just fine in recent years.

https://gocolgateraiders.com/news/2019/1/15/football-colgate-claims-first-lambert-cup.aspx

Original_RMC

July 13th, 2020, 02:43 PM

From the Georgetown athletic director's comments, emphasis added: "Today, the Patriot League announced the decision to not engage in competition for the fall season. This conference-wide decision will impact our football and women's rowing programs. Words cannot express the sadness I feel for our student-athletes who have worked tirelessly to achieve their dreams. We will continue to support them through these difficult times and remain steadfast and committed to preparing for when we can all safely return to the Hilltop.”

If GU is throwing up their arms and saying "well there goes the season" then its on them. Like others have said, there could be options to still play other teams.
It will be tough to get games with more and more conferences probably going to follow the same path. But there still might be a chance to get some games in. RMU is listed as an independent now and that decision to play or not will come directly from their Athletic department.

So perhaps GU and RMU could play in a re-match of the 1997 ECAC bowl game?!?!?!

NY Crusader 2010

July 13th, 2020, 02:43 PM

We expected more. This (football) league is going to collapse on itself just like the MEAC.

I understand you're upset about the decision but you are grossly overstating the impending doom for the Patriot League. In 30 years, we have had I think a grand total of TWO defections (not counting Davidson and William & Mary originally pledging to join the Colonial League and then not):

- 1995 Fordham leaves for all sports except football when it gets invited to the Atlantic 10
- 2001 Towson leaves as a football affiliate when it leaves the America East Conference to join the CAA in all-sports.

PL football would survive just fine with Georgetown and/or Fordham leaving, which they won't. Despite the fact that both the NEC and Big South are at the current moment "better football conferences", I am pretty confident that Monmouth, Duquesne and Dayton would all consider overtures to join the PL as football-only members. And after that, you have Marist as a last resort. The bigger issue for the PL would be if any of the core members left. Per league bylaws, the Patriot League will not sponsor football without a minimum of 5 full-time members in the league. Right now we are at 5 + the 2 affiliates. If either Colgate, HC, Lehigh, Lafayette or Bucknell ever left the league or dropped football, the conference would either need to add another football-playing all-sports member (Fordham, SHU, Bryant, Marist, St. Francis PA etc.) or convince BU to re-start Division I football.

DFW HOYA

July 13th, 2020, 03:28 PM

PL football would survive just fine with Georgetown and/or Fordham leaving, which they won't. Despite the fact that both the NEC and Big South are at the current moment "better football conferences", I am pretty confident that Monmouth, Duquesne and Dayton would all consider overtures to join the PL as football-only members. And after that, you have Marist as a last resort.

Agree to disagree. Too many limits put on success with the PL for these schools.

Virus aside, this question. After 20 years, does Georgetown have any path forward in this league as currently constructed, and it's OK to say no. They're not getting 60 scholarships, period. If the PL thought Georgetown was bluffing in 2013 by not adding grants, it hasn't changed in 2020. Saddled with the AI and without redshirts, it's a lot more of the same. No progress.

No fan of calling the NEC just yet, but a redshirt policy and no AI make Georgetown a much more competitive and stable program even w/o 60 grants than where it is right now.

aceinthehole

July 13th, 2020, 03:42 PM

No fan of calling the NEC just yet, but a redshirt policy and no AI make Georgetown a much more competitive and stable program even w/o 60 grants than where it is right now.

Can I ask why?

The NEC structure offers no minimum - just a maximum of 45 schollys and 18 grants-in-aid. Georgetown can provide as little or as much support as they chose.

The NEC Champion has AQ access to the playoffs, no league AI, allows Redshirts, 6 of the 7 teams are FBS "counters," and many members are familiar to your football schedule.

This isn't the MAAC of 1995, nor is it even the NEC of 2005. GU can bitch and complain about the Patriot or you can find a home for football that better matches the Hoyas commitment.

Go Green

July 13th, 2020, 03:47 PM

Virus aside, this question. After 20 years, does Georgetown have any path forward in this league as currently constructed, and it's OK to say no.

You guys did take second place in 2018...

And I take it that you're not bullish on the renovated Cooper Field making a difference?

RichH2

July 13th, 2020, 04:13 PM

NY Crusader 2010

July 13th, 2020, 04:30 PM

The PL should make red-shirting an institutional decision rather than a league decision. That would be a step forward IMO.

RichH2

July 13th, 2020, 05:05 PM

The PL should make red-shirting an institutional decision rather than a league decision. That would be a step forward IMO.

Not a fan at all of any PL redshirt rule. Rationale is that redshirting will put colleges at a disadvantage to Universities. Perhaps partly an IvyLite holdover. There is some validity to this position. 5th players are a big advantage. Could Lehigh have 10 or 12 5th yrs in a season while Lafayette couldnt. Sure. Perhaps allow limited redshirting to a small number annually with no more than a set number over a 4 yr period.
While we're at it lets take the final step to 63 schollies :)

DFW HOYA

July 13th, 2020, 05:43 PM

DFW
What is your option to the PL's decision to forgo football in the Fall with an option for Spring? Is there a viable way to play football in the Fall? You blame the PL as the villain yet Georgetown was represnted at the meeting as were all football teams.PL ban applies only to PL play. No jurisdiction over Army- Navy Football.
Should the PL have just decided to leave football decisions to each member separately?
None of us like the situation. You dont like what PL did. I dont really see a viable option. Do you?

It should be an institutional decision. Georgetown may well cancel everything, but it should be their call, not the league. At worst, the PL could have cancelled for its schools and Georgetown and Fordham would fold its tents thereafter. I don't see anything in the release that said the associate members were included in the decision. None of the associate member presidents were on the statement.

Notwithstanding, the PL has stop being a lapdog of whatever the Ivy League does. It diminishes the league across the board, which is in part why the rest of the subdivision doesn't take it seriously.

Puddin Tane

July 13th, 2020, 05:57 PM

Maybe we'd better keep track of those teams ACTUALLY playing...xlolx

we’re practicing !

RichH2

July 13th, 2020, 06:11 PM

It should be an institutional decision. Georgetown may well cancel everything, but it should be their call, not the league. At worst, the PL could have cancelled for its schools and Georgetown and Fordham would fold its tents thereafter. I don't see anything in the release that said the associate members were included in the decision. None of the associate member presidents were on the statement.

Notwithstanding, the PL has stop being a lapdog of whatever the Ivy League does. It diminishes the league across the board, which is in part why the rest of the subdivision doesn't take it seriously.

Did not notice that. Under PL by-laws all members can vote and associate members can vote in their sport. I wonder why GU and Fordham declined to participate. Unusual certainly. That said it was their option. I wonder why. I doubt they have found better options for a PL season in the Fall than the rest of the Council.

Ivytalk

July 13th, 2020, 06:19 PM

Perhaps this will wake up Fordham and Georgetown to the nature of this "What Dr. Bacow says, we dutifully oblige" conference.
You really do have a chip on your shoulder.

Bacow doesn’t care a fig about FB.

DFW HOYA

July 13th, 2020, 06:29 PM

You really do have a chip on your shoulder.

20 years of losing will do that to you, I guess.

Ivytalk

July 13th, 2020, 09:31 PM

20 years of losing will do that to you, I guess.

You’ll always have 1984!xthumbsupx

Sader87

July 13th, 2020, 10:38 PM

Hate to say it, but GTown isn't leaving the PL to play in the NEC, Big South, Pioneer et. al. I could much more easily seeing them drop football than join those leagues...they very well may.

They could go CAA but that would take a significant upgrade in their program...which they really haven't shown a commitment to ovah the last 20 years or so.

The Ivy League probably makes the most sense but I don't see the Ivy expanding and like moving to the CAA, would take a lot of resources.

Go Indy? Perhaps...but that poses another whole slew of issues.

Go Green

July 14th, 2020, 06:17 AM

NY Crusader 2010

July 14th, 2020, 08:30 AM

Minus one clearly very upset alum, is there any evidence at all that Georgetown is looking at options outside the PL for football? They would certainly have options depending on which direction they wanted to go commitment-wise but it just seems like there isn't a whole lot of vision down there -- sort of "the status quo is easier" mentality which hurts them both within the confines of the league and if there was indeed an opportunity for them to go elsewhere.

BEAR

July 14th, 2020, 09:07 AM

we’re practicing !

Yeah I noticed we are doing position drills and other off-season things. Gonna suck if they pull the plug...xsmhx

ccd494

July 15th, 2020, 12:58 PM

It should be an institutional decision. Georgetown may well cancel everything, but it should be their call, not the league. At worst, the PL could have cancelled for its schools and Georgetown and Fordham would fold its tents thereafter. I don't see anything in the release that said the associate members were included in the decision. None of the associate member presidents were on the statement.

Notwithstanding, the PL has stop being a lapdog of whatever the Ivy League does. It diminishes the league across the board, which is in part why the rest of the subdivision doesn't take it seriously.

If Georgetown really wants to play, I'm sure the answer would be "knock yourselves out." My question is who Georgetown would play.

NY Crusader 2010

July 15th, 2020, 01:45 PM

If Georgetown really wants to play, I'm sure the answer would be "knock yourselves out." My question is who Georgetown would play.

Or the answer could be, "There might be Patriot League football in the spring". What's a better decision -- go rogue and maybe get lucky enough to play 3 or 4 games this fall OR wait until the spring when you could potentially have a full conference schedule plus the opportunity to play a couple OOC games against the Ivy or whatever other leagues decide to play spring ball in lieu of Fall 2020.