I think it may just be time to admit we are toast, go D-3, and forget it.

So, if we play no games this year, does Dr. Karlgaard get fired or a lifetime extension?

I’m all for being safe, but there is little logic in this particular decision. What has changed for the worse since the various days we announced our first four games were cancelled and today? The Houston community spread comment is bull****; cases in Houston, while not low, are much lower than they were in late July and early August when the full season (or at least every game other than LSU) was still expected to be played.

(09-07-2020 09:28 PM)Almadenmike Wrote:  

(09-07-2020 08:41 PM)OwlSquared Wrote:  

(09-06-2020 04:43 PM)cr11owl Wrote:  https://twitter.com/riceathletics/status...38401?s=21

We clearly do not want to play football. What a joke

Brett McMurphy reporting that the Marshall (10/3) and UAB (10/10) games are postponed.

This is not sitting well with this Huntington, W.Va. sports columnist:

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/sports/col...e1538.html

Chuck Landon Wrote:It appears if Rice opts out of both the Marshall and UAB games, there’s a chance C-USA may push the Blazers to play at Marshall on Nov. 7.

Well, wouldn’t that be convenient for Rice? The Owls would be allowed to dodge two of the stronger opponents on its schedule.

That smells.

What makes the odor even more pungent is Rice athletic director Joe Karlgaard’s statement to the Houston newspaper.

“Our top priority is the safety of our community,” he said. “Rice has safely welcomed back a majority of its student body and will continue to prioritize an on-campus college experience.

“The very low rates of infection among our campus community are the result of a communal effort and one that requires continued vigilance and dedication. At the same time, we will continue to explore options to allow a football season to happen in 2020.”

Wait a minute.

Karlgaard points out Rice has “very low rates of infection among our campus community,” yet the Owls are pushing back the start of practice?

Why?

It sounds very self-serving.

Particularly in light of sources with knowledge of the situation, who say COVID-19 testing of Rice’s student body and faculty revealed less than one percent of positive cases.

Meanwhile, it has come to my attention that when Marshall tested its players, coaches and staff after the Eastern Kentucky game on Sunday, there were no positive results.

So, Rice doesn’t have any cases and Marshall doesn’t have any cases. And this game isn’t going to be played why?

According to Rice, the Owls planned to begin workouts this weekend but, then, dialed it back, saying, “current conditions related to the infection rate in Houston and the need for highly reliable and very rapid testing results in the competitive athletics context forced a delay in a decision to move forward.”

It certainly seems like Rice is looking for reasons not to play.

One problem, perhaps, is Rice’s president, David Leebron, who has been noticeably hesitant about playing the 2020 football season all along.

That’s why I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Rice didn’t even play this season.

Anybody going to miss ‘em?

Mr. Landon makes good points. Especially one of his last ones.

“Anybody going to miss ‘em?”

The key data behind the decision:

E. Kentucky 0 0 0 0 0
Marshall 21 17 14 7 59

I really cared when we were in the SWC but do not really care about the CUSA now.
Top level football has got out of hand anyway.

(09-07-2020 09:40 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  I think it may just be time to admit we are toast, go D-3, and forget it.

(09-08-2020 12:18 AM)75src Wrote:  I really cared when we were in the SWC but do not really care about the CUSA now.
Top level football has got out of hand anyway.

(09-07-2020 09:40 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  I think it may just be time to admit we are toast, go D-3, and forget it.

This is just another missed opportunity for Rice athletics. CUSA games were watched and discussed nationally this last Saturday while we’ve cancelled our first 6 games.

All we get is more excuses and lack of a coherent plan. Sounds similar to the department overall which has died a slow death since the 70s. People can say Leebron supports athletics but all of his actions indicate otherwise.

(09-07-2020 09:40 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  I think it may just be time to admit we are toast, go D-3, and forget it.

I sadly don't disagree after a lot of years of fighting the good fight. Except I'd go a step further and advocate no sports - or just club sports. Evidence suggests that if we played D-3 we would be a bad D-3 program.

(09-08-2020 09:12 AM)mebehutchi Wrote:  

(09-07-2020 09:40 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  I think it may just be time to admit we are toast, go D-3, and forget it.

I sadly don't disagree after a lot of years of fighting the good fight. Except I'd go a step further and advocate no sports - or just club sports. Evidence suggests that if we played D-3 we would be a bad D-3 program.

Club sports, and particularly one you have been involved with, have been our greatest athletic successes outside of Wayne Graham for the last half century.

Maybe we're putting all our football eggs (h/t Lauramac) into the basket of defending our coveted CUSA Lone Star State Championship? :-)

If we go 0-0, we willhave accomplished two things:

1. preserved our 3 game winning streak. Imagine almost two years without a defeat.
2. scored our first undefeated, un-scored upon season.

FWIW, saw this:

Quote:ESPN Picks as Coach of the year: Mike Bloomgren, Rice

Rice makes a bowl game: The Owls haven't had a winning season since 2014 and combined to win only nine games over the past four seasons. After losing their first nine games last season, however, they closed by winning three in a row under Bloomgren. The former Stanford assistant has upgraded the talent and built a solid defense, and now it's time to fix an offense that averaged only 294.2 yards and fewer than 18 points per game. TCU transfer Mike Collins might be the answer at quarterback.

2020 Conference USA West
ESPN Predicted finish
1. UAB
2. Louisiana Tech
3. Rice
4. Southern Miss
5. North Texas
6. UTEP
7. UTSA

linky: College football predictions, awards and storylines for every conference

Well, since the PC10 and BiG have punted, they finally decided to cover the have-not conferences a little more...wonder how much research they actually did.

Still, I was surprised to see their prediction. We'll see what we see.

(09-08-2020 11:48 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  If we go 0-0, we willhave accomplished two things:

1. preserved our 3 game winning streak. Imagine almost two years without a defeat.
2. scored our first undefeated, un-scored upon season.

Rice Owls Football - Undefeated Since 2019!

(09-08-2020 12:09 PM)GoodOwl Wrote:  FWIW, saw this:

Quote:ESPN Picks as Coach of the year: Mike Bloomgren, Rice

Rice makes a bowl game: The Owls haven't had a winning season since 2014 and combined to win only nine games over the past four seasons. After losing their first nine games last season, however, they closed by winning three in a row under Bloomgren. The former Stanford assistant has upgraded the talent and built a solid defense, and now it's time to fix an offense that averaged only 294.2 yards and fewer than 18 points per game. TCU transfer Mike Collins might be the answer at quarterback.

2020 Conference USA West
ESPN Predicted finish
1. UAB
2. Louisiana Tech
3. Rice
4. Southern Miss
5. North Texas
6. UTEP
7. UTSA

linky: College football predictions, awards and storylines for every conference

Well, since the PC10 and BiG have punted, they finally decided to cover the have-not conferences a little more...wonder how much research they actually did.

Still, I was surprised to see their prediction. We'll see what we see.

I wonder if the author got the memo re Rice opting out of its 1st two conference games?

(09-07-2020 10:02 PM)westsidewolf1989 Wrote:  So, if we play no games this year, does Dr. Karlgaard get fired or a lifetime extension?

I’m all for being safe, but there is little logic in this particular decision. What has changed for the worse since the various days we announced our first four games were cancelled and today? The Houston community spread comment is bull****; cases in Houston, while not low, are much lower than they were in late July and early August when the full season (or at least every game other than LSU) was still expected to be played.

Today's Update on Rice COVID-19 Tests (Nasal Swabs) from Last week.
4,000 tests, 3 positive tests (2 staff, 1 undergrad).

All of these tests provide the result back within 24 hours, usually closer to 20.

When I made the original post I thought for sure the worst case would be us starting the season, then having to call it off a game or two in. I never imagined that Rice would keep delaying the season a few weeks at a time...the way we are doing this feels even worse than I imagined possible. It does remind me of 69's saying that if you don't know where you want to go, any road will get you there. We are certainly on our way somewhere, I guess.

Also I was going to mention us not cancelling D-1 sports after the McKinsey Report as a great decision of the university; but honestly now I am not sure.

The most Rice outcome I can imagine is we end up deciding to play this season, then re-schedule Army as an away game.

(09-08-2020 12:40 PM)Baconator Wrote:  Also I was going to mention us not cancelling D-1 sports after the McKinsey Report as a great decision of the university; but honestly now I am not sure.

But McKinsey basically said do it right, or don't do it. We decided to do it, but not right.

The reason we kept D1 was that the baseball team had just won the national championship in D1. We would not been able to keep baseball D1 without the rest of the sports being D1.

(09-08-2020 05:26 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(09-08-2020 12:40 PM)Baconator Wrote:  Also I was going to mention us not cancelling D-1 sports after the McKinsey Report as a great decision of the university; but honestly now I am not sure.

But McKinsey basically said do it right, or don't do it. We decided to do it, but not right.

(09-09-2020 02:13 AM)75src Wrote:  The reason we kept D1 was that the baseball team had just won the national championship in D1. We would not been able to keep baseball D1 without the rest of the sports being D1.

Exactly. McKinsey was hired to find a way for us to drop to D3 and keep baseball D1. When they said no can do, Rice stayed D1. That's why Wayne Graham is the reason Joe Karlgaard's job exists today. Treating the reason you have a job the way that Karlgaard treated Wayne is inexcusable.

Of course, I'm pretty sure Wayne didn't save D1 athletics for it to turn into this. Top notch academics with big-time athletics is why I came to Rice. I wouldn't go to today's Rice.

I split off the posts in this thread that were trending into another topic.

The economics that existed at the time of the McKinsey Report have changed. At that time, it was not financially wise to go from D-1 to D-3. Now, it is foolhardy to continue at D-1 without a gigantic investment by the administration. The P5 schools have almost all of the money, and will not be satisfied until they have 100% of everything. The only G5 schools that will continue (long-term) in D1 are those who are willing to throw money down the toilet in order to appear "big time". Rice is one of a handful of universities with the financial heft to keep it going. But, for how long?