Big Ten Football is back so give University Presidents due respect:
The Big Ten Council of Presidents & Chancellors confirmed the 2020 conference football season has been reinstated and will commence an 8 game Big Ten Schedule on October 23 & 24.
It was a bumpy ride since the season was cancelled on August 11, but the Presidents, Chancellors and AD’s need to be commended for standing resolute and rendering the best decision from a list of bad options.
The decision to “Reinstate Football” was rendered after extensive fact finding and intensive research to ensure ultimate safety for all involved including players, coaches, support staff and more. In the end, the decision to proceed was facilitated with the help of stringent medical and testing protocols.
And daily testing is something I feel close to inasmuch as I wrote extensively about the need for daily testing protocols on August 6, the day after the revised Big Ten schedule was introduced and 5 days before the season was abruptly cancelled (refer to Will2Win.blog, August 6).
I’m not a medical epidemiologist, but it was clear to me that if the Big Ten wanted to implement a “Fail Safe” protocol, then “Rapid Result Testing” with immediate results was the “key” to the castle.
I wrote on August 6:
“…..if conferences, sponsors and networks want to “play ball” then “on site testing” (aka Rapid Result Testing) prior to each practice, and prior to each game whereby everyone involved, including players, coaches, staff, referees and so on” are tested and declared “negative or positive” in a 30 minute window prior to each event then the landscape begins to change, and then the US can start to manage the Virus, instead of the virus controlling every facet of day to day life.
“…it’s a simplistic protocol (really): administer the test on site; test positive and go home, or test negative and pass “go”….on the other hand: “Test results that render a diagnosis in 10 days or more is an absolute and literal waste of time and energy”.
So, now the Big Ten has onsite testing, with immediate results and life can go on. My premise at the time was that “Daily Testing Protocol” provided the best assurance to keep players safe and to ensure that practice and game prep could proceed with minimum interruptions.
Yet, when I wrote about the need for “daily testing” on August 6, the Big Ten had not procured “Rapid Result Testing” (even though it was available in other parts of the world). In fact, most Big Ten schools only conducted testing twice weekly, which, from my perspective was totally inadequate and a veritable waste of time. The lack of “Rapid Result Testing” was measurable inasmuch as numerous Big Ten football programs were shut down due to breakouts including Michigan State, Ohio State, Rutgers, Penn State, Wisconsin and more.
it was clear, testing twice weekly with results in 5-7 or as much as 10 days wasn’t working! And of course, on August 11 the season was cancelled.
There were multiple factors in rendering the recent decision to reinstate Football, but the procurement of “Daily Testing Protocol” was the “key” element thereby enabling Big Ten Football to resume in practical and efficient manner.
There were other factors of course, yet with every Big Ten school following the same daily testing protocol, it is the best assurance that each game will be played as scheduled, unlike the ACC which has already cancelled a game between Virginia and Virginia Tech or the recent cancellation of a game between Army & BYU.
So, under immense public pressure, the Big Ten Presidents, Chancellors, AD’s et al took their time, conducted their research and with safety and prudence as their guide, adopted a daily testing protocol that will enable the Big Ten to resume football in 2020 albeit with just an 8 game schedule.
I salute the conference because they followed research and safety!
Eight Games (+1):
The Big Ten schedule has yet to be released, but it is a certainty that each team will play an 8 game schedule.
In that regard, I will make an assumption that each Big Ten team will play opponents within their respective Division (as per normal) and then play two crossover opponents from the other Big Ten Division, and that will constitute the 8 game schedule.
So, in the case of the Spartans, they will play each team within the Big Ten East including Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers, and then play two crossover games vs Big Ten West opponents (opponents to be determined). Of course game dates and times, and even venues for that matter are yet to be determined, but arguably the schedule will render 4 games home and 4 games away.
Of course, there will be scheduling challenges due to the problems of “shoehorning” 8 consecutive games, on 8 consecutive weekends, from Saturday, Oct 24 thru Saturday, December 12 without bye weeks. That’s 112 games, with zero flexibility played on consecutive weekends, so “scheduling computers” will be working in overtime to sort it out.
In addition to the Big Ten Championship game which will be played on December 19, each team will play a season ending crossover game vs a comparable seed from the other Division.
For example:
- #2 Big Ten East will play #2 Big Ten West
- #3 Big Ten East will play #3 Big Ten West
- #4 Big Ten East will play #4 Big Ten West, and so on so that all 14 teams will play 9 games..
It’s a curious arrangement, and I won’t pass judgement regarding the importance of a “plus 1 game”, yet it’s not a horrible idea, and it gives the Big Ten a 9 game schedule, which makes the work and effort of players and coaches meaningful and it expands the resume for those with NFL aspirations!
Games played in a vacuum; “no public sale of tickets”:
There are some like Shawn Windsor of the Detroit Free Press who have described the Big Ten reinstatement of football a “money grab”, but really?
Games without spectators, a money grab?
If some want to refer to the “Reinstatement of Football” as a decision to “mitigate” losses and achieve some measure of campus normalcy then so be it, but the Presidents didn’t sit around a table and say, “let’s get back to playing football so we can rev up the money machine” because the accounting suggests something totally different.
Want to follow the money? Let’s do it: The games will be played before a crowd of “no one” with the exception of select family members, so each Big Ten University will sacrifice immense revenue generated from game-day ticket sales and licenses; concessions for food, beverage, apparel, programs, parking and the like; as well as foregoing approximately 25% of TV revenues, including the lucrative BTN contract.
Then, when you add up expenses for air travel, ground travel, meals, accommodations and miscellaneous game-day expenses for 105 athletes during an 9 game schedule, including requisite medical attention, than at best, 2020 will be a “break-even” scenario.
It should also be noted the Big Ten Conference will be paying dearly for daily testing when you consider a single university will test approximately 105 athletes each day for approximately 80 days from Oct 1, through December 20, that’s 8400 tests per school, or nearly 120,000 tests for the entire Big Ten.
Money grab? I don’t think so!
In fact, in the case of the Spartans, football normally contributes approximately $80 Million of $140 Million Athletic Revenue. However, in 2020 Spartan Athletics will sacrifice approximately $40 to $45 Mill in Football revenue, which is comprised of approximately $20 Mill in ticket sales and licenses; $20 Mill in TV Revenue; and approximately $2 Mill in concessions (my estimates at +/- 5% accuracy).
I’m certain as it relates to reinstating football, the Presidents were more concerned about plugging the financial drain and keeping the boat afloat in anticipation of a normal year in 2021 than adding up gate receipts and smoking a victory cigar!.
At the bottom line:
I always conclude with a bottom line comment, and today it will be short; give credit to Big Ten Presidents, Chancellors, AD’s and their cadre of staff and decision makers for doing the right thing and erring on the side of research and safety, because Big Ten Football is back.
Yet, forget everything you know about Big Ten Football, because 2020 won’t look like anything you have ever seen before.
Thank you for reading. I welcome your comments & opinions.
