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The SAC and Commissioner Patrick Britz hosted another Zoom meeting this evening, which was open to anyone interested. Here are some of my notes from the opening remarks and Q&A.
-The conference members are committed to playing the full conference schedules for all sports in 2020-21 with the exception of basketball. D2 is capping the basketball season at a max of 22 games (which was announced May 20) and league has just finalized a proposed 20 game schedule to be reviewed by the members very soon.
-Out of conference games are still on schedule for the fall. Schools can make their own decisions to eliminate OOC games to reduce expenses if needed. Close proximity of many OOC opponents make these contests viable.
-Travel is a significant health and expense concern. Some decisions could be influenced by the companies used for charter busing. The busing companies may have requirements for reduced capacity and could potentially have to charge for additional sanitation, etc. This was a very interesting comment that came towards the end of the meeting. This had not occurred to me, but definitely could see it as a challenge in the fall, especially for football which typically requires two buses per team.
-There has been some mention of possible changes to the D2 fall championships schedules, which could shift timelines for the post season. At this time, nothing has been officially proposed. If any scheduling changes occur that would conflict with SAC championship dates, the conference is likely to prioritize conference championships over NCAA championships and forgo the post season. One of the reasons for this is some national playoffs may only include 1 or 2 SAC members. SAC championships would provide more opportunities to compete for a championships.
-Adding a fourteenth full member to the SAC family is under consideration. No prospects were mentioned and no timelines exist but a 14th full member would give the membership more stability.
-There are still many unknowns regarding fan attendance at fall sporting events. Unfortunately, there is nothing definitive to say at this time, but all members are closely monitoring local and state guidelines and preparing appropriately.
-A few possibilities are being explored to improve web streaming of events to make for better viewing experiences.
-There had been some wild ideas floated in some media circles about the NCAA possibly moving all sports for 2020-21 to the spring, but the commissioner said this is not a realistic option, for many reasons. This was the first I had heard of this, but if I had I would not have given it a second thought. It is simply not feasible for any athletics department to support all sports in one season.
-If the college football playoff and Final Four do not happen in 2020-21 it would be devastating for all NCAA members. The commissioner's quote was "we'll be in a world of hurt."
That's what I captured in my notes. If I think of anything else, I'll add it later.
-The conference members are committed to playing the full conference schedules for all sports in 2020-21 with the exception of basketball. D2 is capping the basketball season at a max of 22 games (which was announced May 20) and league has just finalized a proposed 20 game schedule to be reviewed by the members very soon.
-Out of conference games are still on schedule for the fall. Schools can make their own decisions to eliminate OOC games to reduce expenses if needed. Close proximity of many OOC opponents make these contests viable.
-Travel is a significant health and expense concern. Some decisions could be influenced by the companies used for charter busing. The busing companies may have requirements for reduced capacity and could potentially have to charge for additional sanitation, etc. This was a very interesting comment that came towards the end of the meeting. This had not occurred to me, but definitely could see it as a challenge in the fall, especially for football which typically requires two buses per team.
-There has been some mention of possible changes to the D2 fall championships schedules, which could shift timelines for the post season. At this time, nothing has been officially proposed. If any scheduling changes occur that would conflict with SAC championship dates, the conference is likely to prioritize conference championships over NCAA championships and forgo the post season. One of the reasons for this is some national playoffs may only include 1 or 2 SAC members. SAC championships would provide more opportunities to compete for a championships.
-Adding a fourteenth full member to the SAC family is under consideration. No prospects were mentioned and no timelines exist but a 14th full member would give the membership more stability.
-There are still many unknowns regarding fan attendance at fall sporting events. Unfortunately, there is nothing definitive to say at this time, but all members are closely monitoring local and state guidelines and preparing appropriately.
-A few possibilities are being explored to improve web streaming of events to make for better viewing experiences.
-There had been some wild ideas floated in some media circles about the NCAA possibly moving all sports for 2020-21 to the spring, but the commissioner said this is not a realistic option, for many reasons. This was the first I had heard of this, but if I had I would not have given it a second thought. It is simply not feasible for any athletics department to support all sports in one season.
-If the college football playoff and Final Four do not happen in 2020-21 it would be devastating for all NCAA members. The commissioner's quote was "we'll be in a world of hurt."
That's what I captured in my notes. If I think of anything else, I'll add it later.