Tag: ncaa football 2020

Rumor: AD’s believe moving football to spring inevitable

New rumors suggest the football season will move to the spring of next year.

First it was independent Connecticut opting out of a fall season, then all of the Mid-American Conference, the MAC, following suit. Now it seems as if the Power Five conferences could be next. In a report last night from CBS Sports detailing unknown Athletic Directors believing the football season won’t be played in the fall, but rather in the spring.

The report had one AD saying, “I think it’s inevitable (the season will not be played in the fall)” while another says “it’s not fair what we’re doing to our coaches and student-athletes.” When looking at the landscape of college football, a spring season just seems like it is not plausible. The Big Ten was scheduled to begin padded practices this weekend, but that was put on a hold. Their first-year commissioner Kevin Warren seems to prefer a spring season, as reported by the Detroit Free Press.  Oklahoma started practices but now pushed them back, partly due to a change in scheduling, but also to monitor what has been happening around the country with cancellations. Players in the Pac-12 and Big Ten have rallied together to demand more adequate testing procedure, scholarship protection and more with so much uncertainty surrounding the season.

Those two conferences are the ones that the unnamed AD believe’s will be next to move football to the spring, “The Pac-12 will be next and then the Big Ten. The Big Ten just going to no contact, what’s that going to do for you? With California being so prominent (with the coronavirus), I see the Pac-12 getting out there next.”

It’s time to prepare ourselves for a spring football season. This isn’t what any of us want to see, but it seems like it’s an inevitability at this point. The fall surely will be different if football is not played, but the safety of the players and coaches should be at the forefront of this decision.

Indiana latest to suspend football workouts after positive COVID-19 tests

The Hoosiers football team had zero positive COVID-19 tests just a few short weeks ago but are now suspending voluntary workouts.

If you’ve been keeping tabs on college football teams and their COVID-19 results you may remember that along with Notre Dame and Michigan, Indiana has been one who has seemingly handled the situation well.

A June 23 report showed the Hoosiers having zero positive tests among the 187 that were administered.

Unfortunately that number is on the rise as six Hoosiers football players tested positive in the most recent series of tests, forcing the University to suspend voluntary workouts for the time being.

Obviously being in Indiana is one reason for posting this on a Notre Dame site but also relevant is that Indiana’s football team had zero positive tests a few short weeks ago. Notre Dame also had zero positive tests the last time the team went through the testing process.

What it means is just because it hasn’t seriously effected a team yet doesn’t mean it won’t.

Here’s to hoping this is just a speed bump for the Hoosiers as they’re now on the list of more than ten teams who have to suspend workouts due to COVID-19 outbreaks.

NCAA issues next set of return-to-sport guidelines

On Thursday the NCAA released it’s latest set of guidelines for athletes and teams to return-to-sport

This from the NCAA offices, released on Thursday afternoon:

Third installment of recommendations outlines daily self-health checks, testing within 72 hours of competition for high contact risk sports

July 16, 2020 12:29pm

The NCAA Sport Science Institute has released the Resocialization of Collegiate Sport: Developing Standards for Practice and Competition to extend previous guidance and provide updated recommendations about the protection of athletes and prevention of community spread of COVID-19.

The guidelines are designed to inform schools in responding appropriately based on their specific circumstances and in the best interest of returning college athletes’ health and well-being. Many sports require close, personal contact and require specially crafted guidelines. Among the recommendations put forth:

  • Daily self-health checks.
  • The appropriate use of face coverings and social distancing during training, competition and outside of athletics.
  • Testing strategies for all athletics activities, including pre-season, regular season and post-season.
  • Testing and results within 72 hours of competition in high contact risk sports.

“Any recommendation on a pathway toward a safe return to sport will depend on the national trajectory of COVID-19 spread,” said Brian Hainline, NCAA chief medical officer. “The idea of sport resocialization is predicated on a scenario of reduced or flattened infection rates.”

“When we made the extremely difficult decision to cancel last spring’s championships it was because there was simply no way to conduct them safely,” said NCAA President Mark Emmert. “This document lays out the advice of health care professionals as to how to resume college sports if we can achieve an environment where COVID-19 rates are manageable. Today, sadly, the data point in the wrong direction. If there is to be college sports in the fall, we need to get a much better handle on the pandemic.”

The recommendations were developed in collaboration with the NCAA COVID-19 Advisory Panel, American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) COVID-19 Working Group, Autonomy-5 Medical Advisory Group, National Medical Association, and NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports Prevention and Performance Subcommittee. The guidance also takes into consideration recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It is the latest update to the initial Core Principles of Resocialization of Collegiate Sport recommendations, providing guidelines and practices that schools should consider as they develop their own mitigation plans. The previously released Action Plan Considerations offered recommendations to help schools mitigate risks of COVID-19 spread as staff and student-athletes return.

For more information on the NCAA’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, visit ncaa.org/covid-19.

Former Notre Dame wide receiver on the move again

Kevin Stepherson was a receiver who made an instant impact for Notre Dame during his freshman year in 2016.  Although the wins weren’t there for the team, Stepherson impressed with 25 receptions for over 400 yards and five touchdowns.

Kevin Stepherson was a receiver who made an instant impact for Notre Dame during his freshman year in 2016.  Although the wins weren’t there for the team, Stepherson impressed with 25 receptions for over 400 yards and five touchdowns.

A year later he again found the end zone five more times while he hauled in another 359 yards.  But that would be it for Stepherson in a Notre Dame uniform as multiple arrests for possession of marijuana and attempting to steal a pair of sweatpants from Macy’s ended things.

Stepherson got back into football, spending 2019 at Jacksonville State where he hauled in 36 receptions for 479 yards and six scores.  Wednesday brought news that Stepherson has entered the transfer portal as he looks to find where he’ll use his final year of eligibility.

Stepherson was listed at 6-1, 185 pounds last season with Jacksonville State.  Here’s to hoping he has put his past issues in the rear view mirror and can stay on the right track in his final year of eligibility.

USC Offers Prized Notre Dame Commit

Late last week we got the bad news that the Pac-12 was going to only be playing conference games in 2020, meaning that for the first time since 1945, Notre Dame and USC won’t be meeting on the football field. Albeit far from an actual game between …

Late last week we got the bad news that the Pac-12 was going to only be playing conference games in 2020, meaning that for the first time since 1945, Notre Dame and USC won’t be meeting on the football field.

Albeit far from an actual game between Notre Dame and USC, the off the field stories since have at least been compelling.

First it was former Notre Dame commit and now USC running back Markese Stepp admitting how sick it made him that the rivalry game wouldn’t take place this year.

More off the field juice came on Monday when one of Notre Dame’s biggest commitments in the 2021 class, both literally and figuratively, received an offer from the USC coaching staff.

Blake Fisher is rated as the number one player in the entire state of Indiana in the 2021 class and checks in 51st overall in the 247Sports composite ratings as he’s knocking on the door to receive a fifth star.

Some Notre Dame rooters got worried upon seeing the tweet and the news, thinking their prized tackle of the future may be headed to Southern Cal, but Fisher quickly squashed that fear.

Fisher is an absolutely massive part of Notre Dame’s 2021 class as the Irish still have work to do on the offensive line even with his commitment. He’s also attacked his unofficial role as Notre Dame’s newest unpaid recruiting coordinator.

For what it’s worth, 247Sports currently ranks USC as having the seventh best recruiting class in 2021 nationally while Notre Dame checks in at 14. The average star rating per player for USC and Notre Dame are incredibly close at 91.22 and 91.01 respectively, but USC having 17 current commitments to Notre Dame’s 12 creates the separation in ranking.

Related:

Watch Notre Dame commitment Blake Fisher manhandle people

Notre Dame lands 12th commitment in 2021 recruiting class

Notre Dame adds commitment from four-star offensive tackle Blake Fisher

NJCAA Moves Football to Spring 2021

Some have suggested college football move it’s 2020 season to the spring of 2021. Now one college sports organization is doing exactly that.

With these incredibly unique times we’ve all heard many different ideas and suggestions on what should be done with college football.

Some think it should just be a shorter season, perhaps only featuring conference games like the Big Ten and Pac-12 are planning on doing.

A while back The Athletic proposed a late-winter schedule for the 2020 football season that would actually be the first of two 2021 seasons.

Some have suggested moving football to the spring and one college sports organization announced Monday they’ll be doing exactly that this coming school year.

This from the National Junior College Athletic Association, released on July 13:

Release…

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

ACC updates status of football in 2020

Will the ACC follow suit with the Big Ten and only play conference football games in 2020? Find out the latest right here.

The Big Ten announced Thursday that they’ll only be playing football against each other during the 2020 college football season.

Many speculated and reported that other conferences would quickly follow suit.  Now this isn’t to say that won’t happen, plenty still expect the same 24 hours later but none have officially announced the decision yet.

The ACC was believed to be one of those conferences but Commissioner John Swofford said Friday that any announcement in regards to the 2020 football season won’t be coming until late in July.

Read the full statement below.

If you’ve followed this site for any matter of time you’re aware that I’m not optimistic about our chances of getting football in 2020, as much as I want to be wrong.

However, I do feel like the Big Ten perhaps jumped the gun a bit in regards to calling off out of conference games this fall.  You can have those conversations with other commissioners and athletic directors but is it necessary to make a final decision already?

We’re still almost two full months until college football is supposed to kickoff.  Again, I’m not saying the Big Ten won’t ultimately be seen as right, but why the rush to be first as it clearly ticked off others.

For my money I’m not very hopeful that the ACC or any other conference for that matter will have a different fate, but again, just why the rush to be first on the Big Ten’s part?

I’m not betting the ACC waiting results in a different decision but why not at least give it a shot?

2020 Virtual Notre Dame Football Cards: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah – Linebacker

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah’s nine tackles, three sacks and four tackles for loss and forced fumble in the Camping World Bowl win over Iowa State landed him a spot on ESPN’s 2019/20 All-Bowl Team.

2020 Notre Dame Football Player Cards

Remember how great football cards were when you were a kid?  So do we!  We unfortunately can’t print out a bunch of pictures on cardboard and send them to all of you but we have the next best thing, virtual player cards for the 2020 Notre Dame football team!  Here you’ll find all the information, stats, facts and in some cases a photo gallery and/or highlights of all of your favorite Notre Dame players ahead of the 2020 season.  Check it out as we build the complete team set throughout July!

Card number four in the series belongs to one of the returning stars of the defense, linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.

Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Next: Information and Stats

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

68 days until Notre Dame football returns!

Notre Dame football returns in 68 days! Don’t miss today’s countdown as we look back on a rivalry that has been played, well, 68 times.

Another day down and just 68 more to go until we get Notre Dame football officially back in our lives.  We’ll be breaking down plenty of position battles, starting spots and everything regarding the 2020 Fighting Irish football team.

Day 69 looked back at a recent Notre Dame All-American who made a game changing defensive play in a win over a then top-fifteen team.  Now we move to 68 and an opponent who has come up here fairly often in recent weeks.

68: Total meetings all-time between Notre Dame and Pitt in football

I never think of Pitt as one of Notre Dame’s biggest rivals, probably because in my lifetime I can count on one hand how many times the Panthers have finished a season ranked in the top 25.

However, Notre Dame and Pitt have been playing nearly forever and the series has included some incredible moments even if the Panthers haven’t been a national championship contender like they were in the Dan Marino and Tony Dorsett days.

Notre Dame has dominated those 68 games, winning 47 of them and never losing more than three straight meetings in any point of the series that dates back all the way to 1930.

The series has had plenty of memorable moments, like when Allen Pinkett helped Notre Dame get a win at No. 1 Pitt in 1982, the 2012 comeback win that somehow kept Notre Dame’s unbeaten season alive or the 2018 thriller that again, somehow kept Notre Dame’s unbeaten season alive.

The most iconic moment in the history of this rivalry however may have happened when a pair of teams who finished the year a combined 16-10, battled to a three overtime game on the first day of November in 2008.

After blowing a 17-3 and being forced to overtime, Notre Dame played host to one of the more embarrassing moments for a grounds crew in sports history.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bU7wOJb58o&w=560&h=315]

The only thing worse was eventually losing that game and stumbling to a 7-6 final record after a promising 4-1 start.

They may not be on the schedule even close to annually anymore and they may not be in the national championship picture often, but the Notre Dame/Pitt rivalry continues to provide memorable moments all these years later and is the game that scares me the most in terms of an upset entering the 2020 season.

Related – Way too early game-by-game predictions for Notre Dame football in 2020

77 days until Notre Dame football returns (hopefully)

Notre Dame football returns to action in 11 weeks. Don’t miss the countdown today as we remember a national championship team!

There wasn’t a lot of great news in the world of sports on Friday as seemingly everywhere you looked, a professional league or college football team was announcing a handful or more of players had been hit with the coronavirus.

If you’re looking for optimism, it was a tough day in that regard, but good things happened in other avenues as Notre Dame’s football team celebrated Juneteenth by having an on-campus march that brought more attention to social injustices in the United States.

Today marks just 11 weeks until Notre Dame is scheduled to take on Navy in Week One of college football.

We looked back at a Notre Dame bowl record as we counted down the 78 days until kickoff Friday, now let’s remember a legendary season.

(19)77: Notre Dame Wins National Championship

Led by the likes of Bob Golic, Ken MacAfee, Ross Browner, Luther Bradley and some guy named Joe Montana, the 1977 Notre Dame team overcame an early-season loss at Mississippi and a large deficit at Purdue to win the national championship.

An October thrashing of USC in the iconic “Green Jersey Game” took the Irish from 11th to fifth in the national ratings, the same spot they’d hold while eventually meeting No. 1 Texas in the Cotton Bowl.

A 38-10 thrashing of the Longhorns on that New Year’s Day afternoon vaulted Notre Dame all the way to number one and gave Dan Devine a national championship in a truly magical year.

If you haven’t seen it before and have the time, the 22 minute piece Notre Dame put together highlighting the ’77 squad is very well done.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKGyQPufHVc&w=560&h=315]

In 77 days we get to watch Notre Dame football again.

At least we hope.

Let’s go!

Related – Way too early game-by-game predictions for Notre Dame football in 2020