Update: B1G ADs/Presidents Meeting
Update from yesterday:
The ADs and presidents did meet today and it sounds like there is a commitment to play this year.
As I mentioned yesterday, it won't be a full season. That's pretty much off the table. I still think it's 8-9 conference games, maybe 1 regional non-conference to meet the BTN contract programming (because everyone wants to watch OSU blow the doors off Akron, Bowling Green or Ohio).
Thought: getting ahead of ourselves, but I bet some players sit if we get the one regional cupcake game.
Again, the reason behind all of this is because the B1G can level the playing field and create rules and framework that everyone has to follow.
For example, mandatory testing from an independent contractor hired by the league 36-48 hours before every game. Or mandatory bye weeks. Reduced rosters numbers on the sidelines. How long positive tests have to sit. Mandatory full face shields on helmets (look them up if you haven't seen them). Mandatory masks on sidelines (they would wear those neck things that they can just pull up over their mouths). And so on...
I still like the 2 games on, 1 game off model. It almost ensures no one has to miss more than one game if he tests positive. However, I hear pushing the start back to mid-Sept. and splitting the season into thirds with a bye after games 3 and 6 is more likely.
Yesterday someone mentioned that some teams are angling to play division games only. That IS accurate. They are weighing a handful options. One would have division games only and playing some teams home and away based on distance. (Michigan/MSU twice in one year? Probably not likely, but I suppose it could happen. We do it in basketball).
It sounds like they agreed on 5-6 models to consider and they're going to come back vote/decide).
I'll post more if I hear more, but at the end of the day, it sounds like we're going to at least try to play football this fall. Who the hell knows how far we'll get...
Sounds promising. I like it as long as we don’t play osu twice.
Knowing Manuel, We will play OSU twice, both on the road, and somehow the Bosa brothers and Zeke will be given eligibility for the game. Tressel and Urban will ref the game.
Is the 'both on the road' comment in relation to having played a home and home with Notre Dame where we played at Notre Dame first? If so, I can't comprehend why it matters... it was solved the very next year when Notre Dame came to Michigan and got their ass kicked.
He is more likely gripping about having to play MSU back to back years on the road.
No, he is being appropriately snarky by saying that we would somehow end up playing at osu twice just to make things even more difficult than they already are.
Referring to MSU on the road 2 years in a row an Manuel generally being an empty suit who bends over for the B1G instead of advocating for UM first.
After the 2016 game against OSU, he should have been all over the B1G, backing up Harbaugh, and making noise in the media - instead of cow-towing to the bs “review“ of the officiating.
Why are people on the board so down on Warde Manuel? I think I missed something.
That sounds halfway thoughtful. We'll see what happens.
It could be worse. At my workplace I've heard that the "back to the office" committee is stuck in March, 2020 (and obsessing over temperature checks and hand sanitizer, rather than, ah, respiratory droplets of various sizes).
I like the keeping it in house train of thought. At least TRY to level the playing field and hold everyone to the same standards.
Could you imagine something like B1G has to wear the face covering during the game (those things they already wear in the winter under their helmets) but other conferences don't? Or B1G is testing 3 times a week and other conferences is once?
It's better to just keep it in house and be as stringent and conservative as you can, but to hold everyone to it so there are no advantages.
I also like the conference taking the lead because I don't trust Ohio St. - if whats his face the QB got COVID a week before the Michigan game, he's playing. Make the B1G make the rules. I definitely wouldn't have trusted roid enabler Dantonio to abide by the rules on some honor system.
Also - as schools go remote, watch to see if they leave an opening for "some" on-campus learning (labs and whatnot). Like I said before, it allows them to go all singles in dorms, reduces density for dining halls, etc. - but it also means FB players aren't the only ones on campus. Because you know STUDENT-athlete is so important.
I'd love to beat MSU twice, my heart can't take the thought of losing to OSU twice in one year. That would be....I can't even do it.
I think we'll get something by the end of this week unless they all get scared about the backlash and they just say screw it...we'll start prepping for the spring.
I left the conversation feeling like we're 60/40, towards playing. I haven't felt over 50 in weeks.
Are there even enough rooms to go single? I would think this is impossible numbers wise and definitely impossible to do so after the semester starts. What are you going to do kick 1/2 of the people in doubles on up out of their rooms?
Not exactly related but my son goes to CMU and that is their plan. All student housing will be single represented. In addition, the school is reserving COVID floors for any student that shows symptoms. Im sure they crunched the numbers and I also know that last year, they were not at 100% capacity. So this is not too surprising....
Man, having MSU's new coach have a 0-2 record against UM after only one season would be hilarious!
BIG West is trying to duck them crossovers.
NW: We would like to only play B1G West games for...safety...reasons.
Everyone else: but Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State are still all closer to Evanston than most of the division schools.
NW: We said safety, we didn't say health. We need to keep our record safe.
Thanks, really interesting and good info.
Thanks for sharing!
One thought: the 2 weeks on 1 off model makes sense and I like it. However, it does not guarantee individuals only miss one game. That's based on the concept that all infected will clear the infection in 14 days, which isn't the case. Granted, I believe most athletes will kick it quicker than the average human, but still. Just picking a bone here, because it's a good idea regardless.
The kicker here in my mind is making sure your QB1 and QB2 stay healthy AND separated. Same for your OL. I can't imagine the precautions needed in the training room/film room/team meeting rooms.
It all sounds good from a logistical point of view as long as whatever model that is ultimately adopted works. Using pro sports as a precedent, it seems that even with much more elaborate isolation resources, players continue to become infected and they don;t have 49,000 students in the vicinity.
The Ivy League meets today to determine whether they are going to move their schedule to the spring. Considering how quickly we seem to be moving in terms of vaccine development, I don't want to sound like a Debbie Downer, but playing a more robust schedule in the spring seems to be a much more plausible scenario, particularly if you want to bring fans into the mix in a way that will create a much more significant revenue stream and reduce opportunity for infection.
Excellent news and update. Won’t be normal but at least it’s something that will be entertaining.
It actually sounds like a rational and well thought-out discussion, with reasonable alternatives being considered. The rationale - being able to control it within the B1G - makes complete sense as well. I don't know how to react to adults making seemingly rational decisions in 2020.
Pre-2020, I seem to recall we would admire that kind of leadership and consider even buying their product
My office is like a ghost town office. Only two are allowed to work in a big office per shift and the rest are at home teleworking. Upper management have not been in the office since mid March. I kind of like this way. I'm more productive than having to always chat with upper management.
I've accomplished more thus far in 2020 than I did in all of 2019. They're going to have to drag me back into that office.
I feel this so much...I love being able to work in chunks and go do other projects in between. Couldn't sleep and got some work done last night at 2am...slept in and woke up feeling amazing and productive. Had I had to wake up at 5am, today would have been a caffeine chugging grog! Instead I got a lot more done, and got to spend time playing with my dogs and working in the garden...and it's not even noon!
They should just make one side wear Darth Vader helmets and the other side Boba Fett ones.
Vader>boba>storm trooper>>>>>>>>>cry-lo ren
This is the correct order of things.
Kylo Ren has an amazing helmet. Especially after he got the sith alchemy to fuse it back together. Kylo was such a great character. I wish we got more of him but I loved what we did. Adam Driver and Harrison Ford are by far the two greatest actors of the Star Wars saga.
It would be easier for me to align myself with your political views than this one. Alec Guinness was the best actor in the entire series with James Earl Jones voiceover work and Harrison Ford being contenders. Adam driver is a good actor, but that role was weak.
precisely this.
There's room for discussion of best actors outside the series who acted within the series, and then we can talk about Mcgregor, Portman, Jackson, Mikkelsen, Whittaker, Jones, et al, but as far as bringing their character to life within the series?
On the record, the entire Disney trilogy make JarJar look like Lawrence Olivier. No hyperbole. No actors no matter how good could have saved that shitstain.
I'll take any schedule that is best for players health. Not traveling far and not staying in hotels will be best. I like that testing will be done before every game and having a Saturday off after playing two will work well.
Who the fuck is negging your post? Jesus...I am right there with you.
Some on the board are discriminated against. Negged no matter the content.
I hope Michigan can still play Minnesota, really like that matchup...
I love playing Minnesota as well. I see them as one of the premier big ten teams all time. Hopefully they can retain their high level of play.
Thanks Maize. I’m hearing similar things with a few additions- again, this is per mid-level Ad contact.
As he told me before, Northwestern was the team pushing for division only games until a B1G championship if it comes to pass. Iowa and Minnesota have now jumped in on this idea. This feels really shady to me as they are trying to further exploit the divisional strength imbalances.
Rutgers really doesn’t want to play and is asking for a monetary supplement from the league- they do not want to travel west. Maryland is not as steadfast as Rutgers, but they want some financial assistance as well and feel it is only fair if the league subsidizes the extra $ for Covid spending. iE, they want a certain % of monies to be split equally across the conference for anything deemed “Covid spending”, whatever that means.
I also heard that there would be open dates in the schedule, but they could still be filled by Local directional (MAC) schools That pass testing Covid testing and other criteria.
IF Rutgers and Maryland both don't play and Northwestern, Minny and Iowa get their way, then it would have to be a double round-robin within the B1G East in order to get in an 8-game conference schedule.
I don't particularly like that plan, but it's better than nothing at all.
Whatever the final plan is, there will be obstacles to overcome from start to finish. The B1G will need a slew of contingency plans right from the start and the ability to adjust on the fly.
WWJDD (What would Jim Delaney do)
https://images.app.goo.gl/JoAec6fmcF3w1K2T9
WWJDD? Go after schools in Texas and California to join the Big Ten. Just so he could incorporate the Houston/Dallas and LA tv markets into the next BTN cable/dish contract negotiation. That’s what!
That would have been a FAR better plan than adding Maryland and Fucking Rutgers.
The B1G is going to go through some things.
I say we just play OSU 9 times.
Either we'll win some, or 9 straight losses can be the cherry on top of the shitcake that is 2020.
No times Bolivia on that one
Well, that's basically how I learned to beat Hoy Quarlow and the Bruiser Brothers in Super Nintendo Punch-Out. Just keep taking the L, taking the L, taking the L, and eventually you learn how to beat the boss.
I think we have about a 10 percent chance of beating OSU at home. May be in the next two years if we play OSU 10 times we may get one win. Otherwise, we may have to wait for that lucky 1 in 10 chance home games for a win, which may take 20 years.
Either way, it takes some of the sting out of the annual nutkicking. You have to imagine they get bored with it after 4 or 5 wins in consecutive weeks?? Right?
I’ll take it. It would be interesting to know (don’t expect to) what measurements they are using to assess the risk level of playing?
Do you mean the health risks to the players or the public relations risks to the universities?
And the team is supposed to start full on contact drills in under 4 weeks?
I just dont get it.
Usually you know which team you are preparing for in Fall camp. Nobody seems to know who the fuck will be the week 1 opponent let alone how classes will be conducted.
Sorry folks, neg the shit out of me, but we are almost in mid July and nobody - nationwide- knows what the fuck is up. I don't see football happening.
Wake me up in 2021.
If the current Covid trends continue you may indeed be right.
From what I've heard, though, they are trying really really hard to put something together to get to at least 6-8 games, and to do it responsibly and with contingency plans. If Covid starts running through the teams or league, though, which looks very probable given current trends, things will indeed get shut down.
As we already know, the season will look nothing like we have seen in most of our lifetimes, and will be a lot more like Varsity sports under the old student-athlete model. Few fans, random scheduling, local games, etc.