With the fall college football season in jeopardy due to COVID-, “spring football’’ may take on new meaning across the country.
Syracuse University’s John Wildhack said that during twice weekly meetings with fellow athletic directors in the Atlantic Coast Conference, “we haven’t had one second of conversation about not having a football season in some shape or form.’’
The question is what shape, what form and when would that season be?
During a video conference call with reporters on Thursday, Wildhack said the university is taking its cues on what to plan for from elected officials and medical experts regarding when it will be safe to reopen campus and welcome tens of thousands of fans into a remodeled Carrier Dome.
But he’s reluctant to engage in speculation.
“We have not as a conference, the ACC, had any discussions in terms of not playing (football),’’ Wildhack said. “We want to play. We plan to play. What we don’t know is when we’re going to start and in what format. Do you play with fans, without fans? There is so much that is unknown.’’
Playing without fans would add to the enormous financial burden athletic programs are bearing after cancellation of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, which generates $1.1 billion annually in television rights alone. What might be a better solution is playing football in the spring of 2021, when more time will have passed to safely allow for stadiums to open.
“No. 1 is prioritizing the safety of everyone,’’ Wildhack said.
But is playing two seasons in one calendar year doable for players who would likely be looking at a two-month off-season?
“We haven’t spent a lot of time (on this) but if, to play out that scenario if it came to that, one of the concerns is the impact on the 2021 (fall) season and how would it impact the off-season, how would it condense the off-season?’’ said Wildhack, who is leading the effort to make certain SU's 600 student-athletes are engaged with their schoolwork and interacting with their coaches. “Clearly if that was the path that ultimately conferences wanted to pursue, those conversations would be front and center.’’
Determining if television networks would be willing to broadcast a college football season in the spring would not be a long conversation, said Wildhack, a former executive with ESPN.
“I think the networks, the media companies, they’re going to want live sports,’’ he said. "Last year, 92 of the 100 most watched television events in this country were sporting events. That tells you the popularity of sports, the impact sport has on our society and culture, and it reinforces how important live sports are to media companies. They’ll crave for the content.’’
So far, managing Syracuse’s athletic budget through the COVID-19 crisis has not required staff reductions, furloughs or the elimination of non-revenue generating sports, Wildhack said. Some schools have taken those measures.
"We run an efficient operation here, as we should, and there’s been no discussion about eliminating sports,’’ said Wildhack of SU’s 16-team department, which is smaller than many Division I schools.
Wildhack confirmed that he and SU’s five highest-paid coaches did take a voluntary salary reduction. They are football coach Dino Babers, men’s and women’s basketball coaches Jim Boeheim and Quentin Hillsman and men’s and women’s lacrosse coaches John Desko and Gary Gait.
“We’re no different than any entity, every entity is challenged economically,’’ Wildhack said. “Again, I salute our entire staff, we’ve rallied and going back to controlling what we can control, we’ve done. For us it started with cost containment and five coaches and myself volunteering to take a 10 percent salary reduction.’’
The cancellation of spring sports also resulted in cost savings, but next year, money will need to be found to fund scholarships for seniors exercising a special opportunity to play a fifth year. Wildhack said 28 spring athletes have decided to return, including Victor lacrosse star Emily Hawryschuk. Most will enroll in graduate school or take advanced studies.
Later Thursday, men’s lacrosse standout Jamie Trimboli, also of Victor, declared his intention to return.
Wildhack fought for the NCAA to grant another season for spring sport athletes whose seasons ended so abruptly.
“As you go back, it was jarring to our teams and our student-athletes,’’ he said. “Then you go back to ‘What’s our purpose here?’ Well our purpose is to provide a great experience for our student-athletes. That experience was interrupted, and it was unprecedented. People can quarrel with a decision you make and nothing is purely right or wrong at a time like this, but I just thought it was the right thing to do, to support those students who wanted to come back as long as they are in good academic standing. It was no more complicated than that, and I thank the chancellor for his support.’’
LROTH@Gannett.com
Contact sports columnist Leo Roth at lroth@democratandchronicle.com. Follow him on Twitter @leoroth. We exist only through support from readers. Please consider a subscription.
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A Syracuse football season in the spring of 2021? It could happen - Democrat & Chronicle
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