Spring 2021 Football?

[T-Dog]

Not gonna post excerpts from The Athletic article as its behind a paywall (and in poor taste to do so), but basically, a Spring 2021 CFB season is gaining traction among CFB leaders, with final decisions expected by later this month.

The first domino, just like in cancelling sporting events, could be from the Ivy League, which is expected to announce this week that all fall sports will now be played in the spring. The ripple effect could affect FCS first, which could put App's season opener versus Morgan State at risk independent of any FBS schools making decisions. The Patriot League has already said they won't be able to play the first couple of weeks of the season.

IMO, with several schools already having to stop off-season workouts because of mass positive COVID-19 tests and spikes in cases in several states, putting unpaid student athletes at risk just to make a school money is a bad move.

[Stonewall]

Possibility? Yes. Likely hmmmm 20 percent? 10?

[AppSt94]

The Ivy League doesn’t participate in post season football so it’s not a big deal for them to postpone. Harvard is apparently going to online classes for the next calendar year so it is entirely possible that they cancel sports altogether. Doubt their model is adoptable for those without billion dollar endowments.

[NavyApp]

If a spring season does happen; an interesting obstacle will be the NFL draft. They have already come out and said they will not move the draft to accommodate a spring CFB season. Could lead to some very hard decisions for a lot of young men.

[T-Dog]

The Ivy League doesn’t participate in post season football so it’s not a big deal for them to postpone. Harvard is apparently going to online classes for the next calendar year so it is entirely possible that they cancel sports altogether. Doubt their model is adoptable for those without billion dollar endowments.

The Patriot League, which does compete in post season football, is cancelling early season games already and its expected some are to cancel the season on their own.

[AppSt94]

The Ivy League doesn’t participate in post season football so it’s not a big deal for them to postpone. Harvard is apparently going to online classes for the next calendar year so it is entirely possible that they cancel sports altogether. Doubt their model is adoptable for those without billion dollar endowments.

The Patriot League, which does compete in post season football, is cancelling early season games already and its expected some are to cancel the season on their own.

They are cancelling because they aren’t letting their players come back early. There are other protocols as well, but that is the driver for the delay of the start of their season. Many FBS schools, including ours, are back and operating in an environment that hopefully allows for the safe return of college athletics.

[bcoach]

No first round draft pick is going to play spring ball.

[Yosef10]

How do you play in the spring and then again in the fall?

[EastHallApp]

How do you play in the spring and then again in the fall?

I know this will be a valid question, but I wonder if it’s not doable. I mean teams that make the Stanley Cup finals play until mid-June and then start training camp 3 months later. Different sport obviously, but arguably just as violent and a much longer season.

[AppSt94]

How do you play in the spring and then again in the fall?

It’s doable. There would need to be some adjustments to how you recruit and the player safety will be crucial, but as long as everyone plays by the same rules then it is doable. The obvious concern is attrition due to injury. For instance, had we played last spring and Cam and Cory had torn their ACLs. There would be little chance that they would be back for the fall.

[PBR1893-BEER-HAT-GUY]

I’ve wanted this season to happen but it ain’t gonna happen. Barring some vaccine miracle, and seeing how college aged kids think they’re invincible and seem to be the super spreaders of this pandemic, football isn’t gonna happen...period.

[Yosef84]

No doubt that a Spring season would make it difficult on the players next Fall. I'll let the guys with experience playing college football speak to that. Regarding the draft, if the NFL will not postpone the draft date, I wonder if the NCAA would grant a waiver allowing the players to continue playing if desired. Question: Once the NFL team drafts a player, do they have rights that would prevent them from playing? (Protecting their asset)?

[WVAPPeer]

I am unfortunately becoming more and more pessimistic about college football this fall - really sucks

[appst89]

My belief, since March, has been that there will be no football this fall. I've seen nothing to make me waver from that belief.

[Neer86]

I've been counting on fall football to pull me through the summer after losing March Madness and the Masters. But I'm starting to feel like more and more of you...good chance it won't happen. I have gotten back into Nascar and non-majors golf again, and have been really enjoying it.

Also enjoyed following the Big Rock fishing tournament, first time I've ever done that and loved it.

[Yosef10]

How do you play in the spring and then again in the fall?

I know this will be a valid question, but I wonder if it’s not doable. I mean teams that make the Stanley Cup finals play until mid-June and then start training camp 3 months later. Different sport obviously, but arguably just as violent and a much longer season.

I know it’s not a popular topic here, and i dont wish to get into the weeds on it yet again, but you’re also using pros to compare to “amateurs”. I’m not saying the kids wouldn’t want to play, but 24-ish football games in less than 12 months doesn’t seem like a great idea in my mind, pretty blatant cash grab IMO.

[canes_mj]

I think they should plan for spring as a backup, but it should not be the primary option. The whole idea of playing in the spring hinges on the assumption that COVID will be gone by then. What do they base that on? So far, the course of this virus has been incredibly difficult to predict, and the medical advisors and experts have been wrong about almost every aspect of it when making predictions (this is not a slight against them, please do not take it as such). Remember, back in March they said that they thought that by the warm summer months, that the virus would have diminished as it does not spread as well in hot weather. Yet here we are in July with record numbers of positives. If they plan only for the spring, they are putting all of their eggs in one basket; and if they are wrong regarding their COVID prediction, then there is no season. Try to play in the fall, plan for the spring as a backup contingency plan.

[97APP]

How do you play in the spring and then again in the fall?

I know this will be a valid question, but I wonder if it’s not doable. I mean teams that make the Stanley Cup finals play until mid-June and then start training camp 3 months later. Different sport obviously, but arguably just as violent and a much longer season.

I know it’s not a popular topic here, and i dont wish to get into the weeds on it yet again, but you’re also using pros to compare to “amateurs”. I’m not saying the kids wouldn’t want to play, but 24-ish football games in less than 12 months doesn’t seem like a great idea in my mind, pretty blatant cash grab IMO.

I don't see a true 12 game spring season if that's the way it goes. I would think more in the lines of Conference only games with a conference championship. Probably no minor bowls.

So for most schools only an 8 game season.

Then I would expect a delayed start to the 2021 season by a month or so with a reduced regular season as well (maybe 10 games).

[Yosef84]

I don't see a true 12 game spring season if that's the way it goes. I would think more in the lines of Conference only games with a conference championship. Probably no minor bowls.

So for most schools only an 8 game season.

Then I would expect a delayed start to the 2021 season by a month or so with a reduced regular season as well (maybe 10 games).

That's exactly what I was thinking about the abbreviated Spring season. I'm hoping the Fall 2021 wouldn't be impacted, but you could be right.

[EastHallApp]

How do you play in the spring and then again in the fall?

I know this will be a valid question, but I wonder if it’s not doable. I mean teams that make the Stanley Cup finals play until mid-June and then start training camp 3 months later. Different sport obviously, but arguably just as violent and a much longer season.

I know it’s not a popular topic here, and i dont wish to get into the weeds on it yet again, but you’re also using pros to compare to “amateurs”. I’m not saying the kids wouldn’t want to play, but 24-ish football games in less than 12 months doesn’t seem like a great idea in my mind, pretty blatant cash grab IMO.

I totally agree with the pro vs. amateur point. Just thinking about it from a physical recovery perspective.