https://www.katc.com/sports/ul-sports/ma...-to-change

Quote:Louisiana football playing a home-and-home with in-state rival ULM, or Arkansas State in 2020 isn't out of the realm of possibilities.

As college football scheduling continues to shift, the Sun Belt continues to plot contingency plans.

"It's not like the Group of Five, or Sun Belt is just waiting," said Louisiana Athletic Director Dr. Bryan Maggard.

In an interview with KATC, the Cajuns AD laid out some of the ideas being spit-balled. The conference could cut out non-conference play, it could fill in the cracks left by the changes, or fill out the schedule with conference teams. He said the league could achieve a 12-game slate by playing home-and-homes. But at the end of the day, he still feels there is plenty of interest from college football to play as scheduled.

"I think if we're going to be able to play 12, I think the SEC and Big12, at least, and ACC, but for sure those two, I think they want to play 12 as well," Maggard added.

Conversations about reshaping fall scheduling ramped up Thursday when the BigTen announced it would only play conference games this fall. The Pac12 followed suit Friday. Those decisions will cost Sun Belt teams Appalachian State and Arkansas State who were scheduled to play Wisconsin and Michigan respectively. While some see these two power conference as being the first dominoes to fall, Dr. Maggard believes it's not that simple. He said the other conferences are planning to wait until the end of the month to make big decisions.

"At the end of the day they have to do what they feel is best for them, but up until yesterday, and even today with nine of the ten [conferences] being on the same page."

The SEC's decision will have the greatest impact on the Sun Belt. Of the Sun Belt's ten power-five match-ups, five are against SEC schools, including the Cajuns games against Missouri. The meeting that carries a $1.3 million guarantee for Louisiana. If the SEC cuts its non-conference games Sun Belt teams stand to lose a lot of money.

"All the contract languages will have to be interpreted, and we'll see where we land with buyouts or liquidated damages or things of that nature. Again, that's a bridge we'll have to cross if we come to it," Maggard said.

In June, as teams headed in voluntary workouts, optimism around college football was at its highest since college athletics shut down in March. Thursday, Ohio State athletic Gene Smith said he was no longer "cautiously optimistic" about college football's future. Maggard holds a more positive view.

"I still remain optimistic. I will be that way way until I'm told we can't play or it will look different," he said. "Am I getting myself more mentally prepared? We have to. We'd be irresponsible if we did not. But the collective mindset of the sports leaders want to play. Obviously we'll have to succumb to safety, and if we feels as a nation it's not wise we have to put that reason in front of everything else."

DIII conference USA South announced yesterday their plan is to split their football into 2 divisions, play a home/home conference schedule. They plan on day tripping all their games, so no hotel stays, if schools are still far apart, meet in the middle and play a neutral site. Still allow schools to play close rivals if they chose.

https://www.richmondregister.com/sports/...8b797.html

This conference is in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia.

Great to finally here from a SBC AD. I think TXST could easily keep UTSA and SMU on the schedule and make day trips out of those games.

Troy AD Brent Jones is repeatedly saying he thinks we will have a football season in the fall.

I would hope the conference doesn't cancel non-conference games and cause us to miss our payday game in November with Ole Miss (if the SEC plays those games).

I'm glad to hear that the SEC, ACC, and Big XII are wanting to play their games if at all possible. The Big 10 announcement was premature IMO.

My gut says all the conferences will play in conference only.

(07-15-2020 12:51 PM)sdcritter Wrote:  My gut says all the conferences will play in conference only.

Any G5 adopting a conference play only policy is giving up any hope of collecting anything on their non-conference deals.

If we have a season should pursue both the school for breach and the conference for tortious interference w/ contract


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(07-15-2020 01:38 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(07-15-2020 12:51 PM)sdcritter Wrote:  My gut says all the conferences will play in conference only.

Any G5 adopting a conference play only policy is giving up any hope of collecting anything on their non-conference deals.

If we have a season should pursue both the school for breach and the conference for tortious interference w/ contract

From what I've read, it sounds like the rest of the P5 is already looking into the fine print of what ramifications would come, should they decide to cancel their OOC games and not honor the contracts.

If the rest of the P5 do decide to play conference-only games, there are going to be a couple of G5 programs in a world of hurt.

UConn - they will miss out on over $4.3-million in payday games (@Ole Miss, @Virginia, @North Carolina, @Illinois.

Kent State - they would lose payday games @Alabama, @Penn State, and @Kentucky.

Besides Notre Dame, I wonder what would happen to the independents?

If everyone goes conference only, not only do those indy teams lose out on money games, they lose out on all games, except maybe with out indy teams. I guess they could play each other, but that still doesn’t leave much to do and they are stretched across the country.

The smarter move at this point would be to shoot for a Spring season and play a full schedule, including non-conference games. Playing conference only doesn't really do us any good, especially when your conference is stretched out as far as ours is. I'd rather play a full schedule in the Spring (February to mid-May) than play half a schedule in empty stadiums in the Fall.

That's just my opinion, though. It's probably an unpopular one.

Mohajir:

https://soundcloud.com/1037thebuzz/terry...ir-7-14-20

South Alabama pauses

https://www.al.com/sports/2020/07/south-...sting.html

(07-15-2020 03:48 PM)8993 Wrote:  The smarter move at this point would be to shoot for a Spring season and play a full schedule, including non-conference games. Playing conference only doesn't really do us any good, especially when your conference is stretched out as far as ours is. I'd rather play a full schedule in the Spring (February to mid-May) than play half a schedule in empty stadiums in the Fall.

That's just my opinion, though. It's probably an unpopular one.

Then what? You can’t turn around and play another season the next fall...college football will become a spring sport?

(07-15-2020 10:15 PM)Louisiana99 Wrote:  

(07-15-2020 03:48 PM)8993 Wrote:  The smarter move at this point would be to shoot for a Spring season and play a full schedule, including non-conference games. Playing conference only doesn't really do us any good, especially when your conference is stretched out as far as ours is. I'd rather play a full schedule in the Spring (February to mid-May) than play half a schedule in empty stadiums in the Fall.

That's just my opinion, though. It's probably an unpopular one.

Then what? You can’t turn around and play another season the next fall...college football will become a spring sport?

Why can't you? That's quite literally what many have already proposed. There would be a couple of months off for the student-athletes, but then back to the turf in the Fall. It's not like we're saying "the season will stretch from April to July" here.

(07-15-2020 10:15 PM)Louisiana99 Wrote:  

(07-15-2020 03:48 PM)8993 Wrote:  The smarter move at this point would be to shoot for a Spring season and play a full schedule, including non-conference games. Playing conference only doesn't really do us any good, especially when your conference is stretched out as far as ours is. I'd rather play a full schedule in the Spring (February to mid-May) than play half a schedule in empty stadiums in the Fall.

That's just my opinion, though. It's probably an unpopular one.

Then what? You can’t turn around and play another season the next fall...college football will become a spring sport?

Maybe the 2021 (fall) season would be shortened slightly and pushed a bit later to compensate.

I think Spring football could be done but you would only have room for ten or eleven games. Start Feb. 20th or 27th. Move the start of Fall-2021 season back by two weeks-- but with a full schedule. This would give teams enough of a break--hopefully. Late October into November-2020 you could have four weeks of "camp" if health concerns allow.

If we're being real here, actually having a football season isn't going to do anything but lead most southern states back into lockdown. Keep in mind this thing is spreading like insane in hot weather. When the temp drops? Throw the regular flu back into the equation and you have thousands of people sitting in stadiums across the country. What could possibly go wrong? Especially considering the healthcare system in many places is already reaching capacity, or are already at capacity. Well hey, one can get used to working from home so i'm not even mad.

(07-16-2020 06:37 AM)AlwaysSunny Wrote:  If we're being real here, actually having a football season isn't going to do anything but lead most southern states back into lockdown. Keep in mind this thing is spreading like insane in hot weather. When the temp drops? Throw the regular flu back into the equation and you have thousands of people sitting in stadiums across the country. What could possibly go wrong? Especially considering the healthcare system in many places is already reaching capacity, or are already at capacity. Well hey, one can get used to working from home so i'm not even mad.

Every Sun Belt School has announced reduced capacity plans for the fall with the approval of local states. There’s not a soul here laboring under the delusion of full crowds at anything this year

(07-16-2020 10:14 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  [quote='AlwaysSunny' pid='16906408' dateline='1594899436']
If we're being real here, actually having a football season isn't going to do anything but lead most southern states back into lockdown. Keep in mind this thing is spreading like insane in hot weather. When the temp drops? Throw the regular flu back into the equation and you have thousands of people sitting in stadiums across the country. What could possibly go wrong? Especially considering the healthcare system in many places is already reaching capacity, or are already at capacity. Well hey, one can get used to working from home so i'm not even mad.

Let's not be silly... having people in stadiums is no worse than many other things currently happening. There will be people 6 feet or more apart in an open-air stadium, with the universities most likely trying to enforce those rules so that there are no issues... unlike most of the indoor stores people are going into where many people aren't really adhering to social distancing guidelines, not wearing masks, going the wrong way down aisles, not sanitizing, no rules being enforced, etc.