Tag: fall

SEC Commish Greg Sankey appears on the Dan Patrick Show, discusses state of season

SEC Commish Greg Sankey appeared on the Dan Patrick Show Tuesday discussing pressure that ADs in other power conferences are feeling.

With the Big 10 and Pac-12 reportedly being close to canceling the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic, or at least delaying it until the spring, the eyes of the college football world have been turned on the rest of the Power Five, namely the SEC, to see how it plans to address these developments.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey shed some light on those issues in his appearance on the Dan Patrick Show Tuesday morning. Discussing pressure that administrators in other power conferences are feeling, Sankey said that his league’s decision to delay the start of the season to Sep. 26 has given it more flexibility.

He believes that spreading out the preseason schedule and delaying the start of full practices has allowed the league to evaluate developing situations at member schools and others, and with the start slated for nearly a month after students begin returning to campus, he said the league will have time to reevaluate how the presence of other students affects the situation for players.

Sankey also gave no assurances that competition would happen, though. Responding to hypothetical discussions of the SEC playing by itself even if the rest of the Power Five canceled, he said that while it could happen, it probably wouldn’t be the best course of action.

Moving to the topic of player freedoms, Sankey reaffirmed that players have the option to opt-out and retain both their scholarship and spot on the team. In terms of eligibility preservation for players who choose to opt-out, he said that he expects the NCAA to reach a solution within the week.

The full interview can be viewed below. Sankey joins the show around the 28-minute mark.

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Gators football sits at No. 8 in Amway Coaches Poll’s first 2020 edition

The University of Florida’s football team enters the season ranked No. 8 according to the Amway Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.

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The University of Florida’s football team enters the 2020 fall season ranked No. 8 in the nation according to the first issue of the Amway Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports, which was released on Thursday.

The Gators finished ranked No. 8 in the final poll last season published on Jan. 15 after defeating the Virginia Cavaliers in the Orange Bowl, 36-28 — the exact same position Florida started the season at. This year, the Orange and Blue will once again start off in the eight-hole, with expectations running high for Dan Mullen in his third year at the helm of the program.

The complete poll is listed below, with the columns representing rank, team, record, points, first-place votes, change and hi/lo.

1 Clemson 0-0 1589 38 NR — 1/1
2 Ohio State 0-0 1555 17 NR — 2/2
3 Alabama 0-0 1495 4 NR — 3/3
4 Georgia 0-0 1345 0 NR — 4/4
5 Louisiana State 0-0 1330 6 NR — 5/5
6 Oklahoma 0-0 1315 0 NR — 6/6
7 Penn State 0-0 1199 0 NR — 7/7
8 Florida 0-0 1176 0 NR — 8/8
9 Oregon 0-0 1164 0 NR — 9/9
10 Notre Dame 0-0 1012 0 NR — 10/10
11 Auburn 0-0 898 0 NR — 11/11
12 Wisconsin 0-0 887 0 NR — 12/12
13 Texas A&M 0-0 807 0 NR — 13/13
14 Texas 0-0 703 0 NR — 14/14
15 Michigan 0-0 687 0 NR — 15/15
16 Oklahoma State 0-0 524 0 NR — 16/16
17 Southern California 0-0 521 0 NR — 17/17
18 Minnesota 0-0 494 0 NR — 18/18
19 North Carolina 0-0 415 0 NR — 19/19
20 Utah 0-0 241 0 NR — 20/20
21 Central Florida 0-0 232 0 NR — 21/21
22 Cincinnati 0-0 229 0 NR — 22/22
23 Iowa 0-0 204 0 NR — 23/23
24 Virginia Tech 0-0 143 0 NR — 24/24
25 Iowa State 0-0 135 0 NR — 25/25
Also receiving votes:
Tennessee 111; Boise State 111; Arizona State 88; Kentucky 73; Memphis 71; Baylor 66; Washington 65; Louisville 62; Miami 58; Appalachian State 31; Navy 17; Virginia 13; Air Force 12; Mississippi State 9; Texas Christian 7; Washington State 6; Tulane 5; California 5; UL Lafayette 3; Southern Methodist 3; Nebraska 3; Stanford 2; Pittsburgh 1; Kansas State 1; Indiana 1; Duke 1.

 

The Amway Board of Coaches is made up of 65 head coaches at Bowl Subdivision schools. All are members of the American Football Coaches Association. The board for the 2020 season: Dino Babers, Syracuse; Craig Bohl, Wyoming; Neal Brown, West Virginia; Troy Calhoun, Air Force; Matt Campbell, Iowa State; Steve Campbell, South Alabama; Jason Candle, Toledo; Jamey Chadwell, Coastal Carolina; Paul Chryst, Wisconsin; Geoff Collins, Georgia Tech; David Cutcliffe, Duke; Butch Davis, Florida International; Manny Diaz, Miami (Fla.); Dana Dimel, Texas-El Paso; Sonny Dykes, Southern Methodist; Luke Fickell, Cincinnati; Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M; Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern; James Franklin, Penn State; Hugh Freeze, Liberty; Willie Fritz, Tulane; Scott Frost, Nebraska; Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech; Todd Graham, Hawaii; Jeff Hafley, Boston College; Thomas Hammock, Northern Illinois; Bryan Harsin, Boise State; Will Healy, Charlotte; Clay Helton, Southern California; Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky; Tom Herman, Texas; Skip Holtz, Louisiana Tech; Mike Houston, East Carolina; Brian Kelly, Notre Dame; Chris Klieman, Kansas State; Lance Leipold, Buffalo; Tim Lester, Western Michigan; Seth Littrell, North Texas; Mike Locksley, Maryland; Scot Loeffler, Bowling Green; Chad Lunsford, Georgia Southern; Gus Malzahn, Auburn; Doug Martin, New Mexico State; Jeff Monken, Army; Dan Mullen, Florida; Billy Napier, Louisiana-Lafayette; Ken Niumatalolo, Navy; Jay Norvell, Nevada; Ed Orgeron, LSU; Gary Patterson, TCU; Jeremy Pruitt, Tennessee; Nick Saban, Alabama; Scott Satterfield, Louisville; Jeff Scott, South Florida; Kirby Smart, Georgia; Lovie Smith, Illinois; Jonathan Smith, Oregon State; Frank Solich, Ohio; Jake Spavital, Texas State; Rick Stockstill, Middle Tennessee; Kevin Sumlin, Arizona; Dabo Swinney, Clemson; Mel Tucker, Michigan State; Matt Wells, Texas Tech; Kyle Whittingham, Utah.

Gators News: July 21, 2020

As we wade deeper into another week, we inch closer and closer to the beginning of MLB’s 60-game season, slated to start on Thursday night.

Another Tuesday has arrived and as we continue to wade deeper into another week, we inch closer and closer to the beginning of Major League Baseball’s abbreviated 60-game season, which is slated to start on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, in the football realm, there is still a great deal of discussion going on over how a college football season can be played in the fall — if it is even possible at all. And if football cannot be played, the economic ramifications could be huge, to the tune of many billions of dollars in lost revenues that stretches from the schools to the local economies to the broadcast networks.

There is still a great deal of uncertainty that lies ahead of us, with some answers expected to come sooner than later, such as with the SEC, which is expected to release a clarified plan before the end of July.

Enough of the bad news, here is some good news from yesterday on Gators Wire.

Around the Swamp

It’s great to be a Florida Gator

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Enough about football, what about the college basketball season?

Lost in these conversations over what could have been in regards to football is a nagging question—what will happen with college basketball?

In recent weeks, the spotlight in the college sports world has been on the management (or lack thereof) of the college football season in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NCAA and major conferences wasted the bulk of the summer by not coming up with a suitable return plan for college athletes, and now, with two of the Power Five conferences already moving to conference-only schedules and the rest likely to follow, the entire idea of having a college football season in the fall seems to be hanging by a thread.

It seems a near certainty that the season will be at the very least delayed until late fall/early winter, the implications of which would be devastating for the sport at large.

But lost in these conversations over what could have been in regards to football is a nagging question — what will happen with college basketball?

Surely, the NCAA will do whatever is possible to avoid making any substantive changes to the season considering the entire postseason was canceled last season. Allowing the virus to significantly affect two seasons in a row is a worst-case scenario.

But if the college football season — along with other fall sports — are canceled or postponed, where would that leave college basketball?

In making these plans, many of the limitations and stipulations that affect college football’s return also apply. Players are still unpaid, and forcing them into a position of risk is a bit different from when the NBA does it to its millionaire athletes. You still have to deal with the fact that it’s inconceivable to try and replicate a bubble-type environment; travel and the freedom of movement for student-athletes (who will still be taking classes as students, and at least at UF, could be taking them in-person) will be necessities.

But there are also a number of reasons why basketball doesn’t have to suffer the same fate football inevitably will. Smaller rosters mean you only have to worry about keeping conditions safe for 12-15 people (plus support staff), as opposed to the 100+ required for football. The schedule would be easier to adjust if necessary since nonconference basketball games aren’t tied with seven-figure contracts like in football, and playing games without fans wouldn’t be as financially catastrophic as it would be for football, where schools in conferences that don’t have lucrative TV deals often need revenue from ticket sales to subsidize their entire athletics departments.

Not to mention the fact that the season isn’t set to start until November, putting several more months between the current state of the pandemic in the United States and the season’s commencement.

But there are no guarantees. The Ivy and Patriot Leagues have already canceled sports through the fall, meaning that if the basketball season were to happen in those Division I conferences, it would at the very least be delayed. It’s very possible the beginning of the season is pushed until December or January and nonconference games are eliminated entirely or severely reduced. There’s also the conflicts basketball season could have with a potential spring football season to keep in mind.

There is reason to be more optimistic that the college basketball season will happen on time than the college football season, to be sure. But if that’s going to happen, the NCAA can’t waste the next three months and repeat the mistake it made with football.

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Gators News: July 13, 2020

A new week is upon us and given the events that preceded the weekend we are in for one heckuva few days as we roll into the middle of July. 

A new week is upon us and given the events that preceded the weekend we are in for one heck of a few days as we roll into the middle of July.

It is expected that sometime later today the Southeastern Conference will make its announcement concerning the shift to conference-only schedules already taken by the Big 10 and PAC-12, as well as the Ivy League’s decision to cancel all fall athletics. The Patriot League is also canceling its 2020 fall athletics season, according to a source.

In other news, Major League Baseball is currently struggling with its restart due to numerous reports of positive COVID-19 cases while the National Basketball Association is trying its hardest to keep its bubble from being burst.

Around the Swamp

It’s great to be a Florida Gator!

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SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey’s concern for the season is ‘high to very high’

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said he is concerned about the prospect of playing football in the fall during an interview on ESPN Radio.

In light of rising COVID-19 cases across the south and decisions made by the Big 10 and PAC 12 over the last several days to move to conference-only football schedules this fall, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said he is concerned about the prospect of playing football in the fall during an interview on the ESPN Radio show Marty & McGee on Saturday morning.

“We put a medical advisory group together in early April with the question, ‘What do we have to do to get back to activity?’ and they’ve been a big part of the conversation,” Sankey said. “But the direct reality is not good and the notion that we’ve politicized medical guidance of distancing, and breathing masks, and hand sanitization, ventilation of being outside, being careful where you are in buildings. There’s some very clear advice about — you can’t mitigate and eliminate every risk, but how do you minimize the risk? … We are running out of time to correct and get things right, and as a society we owe it to each other to be as healthy as we can be.”

Sankey pointed out that since what one league does affects every other league, the decisions made by two of the Power Five conferences will impact the SEC’s decision-making. But he also said the league will cater to the individual needs of its member institutions above all else.

“That literally is playing out in front of us every day,” Sankey said. “That’s why I don’t feel any pressure because of somebody else’s decisions. We’re trying to make the right decisions for us, for the Southeastern Conference. It does have an impact because I’ve said publicly we’re all linked nationally, so when other people make decisions, yup, there’s an impact, but also we’re going to look at our situation and make a decision that’s appropriate for the Southeastern Conference and most importantly for the health of our student-athletes.”

“What I’ve tried to do is both keep a focus on what’s ahead but provide reality, which has been I’m going to focus on preparing to play the season as scheduled but acknowledge the circumstances around coronavirus are going to guide us in that decision-making,” Sankey said. “And the reality right now is the trends in our region, in our nation, are not in the positive direction for being able to have normal experiences.”

In the interview, Sankey confirmed that the late July deadline for final decisions regarding the season hasn’t changed and that he believes it beneficial to wait as long as possible before making an informed decision. The other two Power Five conferences, the ACC and Big 12, have both also said that they will wait until the end of the month to make decisions about scheduling.

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Paul Finebaum shares his opinion on if college football will be played

ESPB;s Paul Finebaum shares his thoughts on the current state of college football and if games should be played in the Fall of 2020.

The Coronavirus pandemic cut the 2019-2020 college basketball postseason short, cancelling all of ‘March Madness,’ it also ended all 2020 Spring collegiate sports. Now, as the 2020 college football season approaches, questions are arising as to how, or if, it will be played.

The Ivy League is reportedly considering to move their football season to the Spring of 2021. This change in season would allow more time to pass in hopes that the pandemic subsides or a vaccine is created.

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum spoke with Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer and shared his own opinion on what the NCAA should do.

Finebaum spoke about what the ‘best case scenario’ is for college football in the Fall of 2020.

“I think probably the best case is to put off any important decisions for three to four weeks,” said Finebaum. “… I think they’ll keep pushing, keep moving the invisible deadline to where, if the country is still in a freefall in a couple of weeks, then I don’t think they’ll have much choice but to then say, ‘We can’t do it at all’ or ‘We’re going to pause here and give it a few more weeks and maybe start in mid-September or late September.’

If you’re the SEC, ACC, Big Ten — maybe you just play conference games. I think the non-conference games are in serious jeopardy.”

The “invisible date” Finebaum references is crucial. The refusal to set a date for a decision allows the NCAA more time to evaluate the current state of the pandemic, as well as potentially prepare for preventive measures if they decide to go through with the season.

2020 SEC Media Days has also been cancelled and set for rescheduling, but an official date has not been announced.

He was also asked about the likelihood of games being played in the Fall.

“I think the likelihood of college football is slipping away by the day. … It’s remarkable to think from holiday to holiday — Memorial Day to the Fourth of July — what has happened. I would say on Memorial Day it was a slam dunk. It was going to happen,” says Finebaum. “There could be some complications. As we hit the next big holiday of the year, which is the last holiday before Labor Day, it seems like everything has gone the wrong way.

And when I say that, it’s not even the complications within the sport, which are massive … It’s just the (COVID-19) spikes around the country are happening at probably the worst possible time to safely execute college football.”

Finebaum stated there there is a “less than 50 percent chance” football is played in 2020.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to keep you updated as more information becomes available regarding college football being played in the Fall of 2020.