College football could kick off in January or even February if the coronavirus pandemic persists — rather than be restricted to the fall and face a shortened season, games played without fans or cancelation, several athletic directors from three different Power Five conferences told Horns247.com.
Those athletic directors said health and safety will continue to drive every decision made about on-campus activities in light of the pandemic. But if the pandemic shows signs of being controlled or contained, trying to preserve football season in its entirety will be a priority, they said, even if it means moving the start into the new year.
Football accounts for 70 to 80 percent of most athletic departments’ revenue and helps fund the operating budgets of a school’s other sports (usually with the exception of men’s basketball and baseball, which tend to be revenue positive or neutral).
At Texas, for example, in 2018-19, football accounted for $157 million of the Longhorns’ $223 million in revenue with $43 million in expenses. The net profit of $114 million from football was then used to fund UT’s remaining 19 sports (with the exception of men’s basketball and baseball).
Football revenue is so critical for the day-to-day operations of most FBS schools that athletic directors across the country are considering scenarios in which the college football season could kick off when it’s normally ending.
“There’s been some talk about possibly playing a shortened season - without non-conference games,” said one Power Five athletic director. “But if there’s a way to play all the games, and it means moving the football season into the new year, it has to be considered.”
The idea of playing games without fans should be tabled if the season could be played with fans in stadiums in January or even February.
“The economic impact of football is so immense for schools,” said a second Power Five athletic director. “It will be hard to overcome if football is not played at all, and the revenue from television and tickets are lost.
“Even playing games without fans would be a significant blow from a ticket-revenue standpoint for 90-plus percent of FBS schools.”
The loss of football ticket revenue is significant because, at most Power Five schools, a sizable contribution to a school’s athletic department is required to maintain season tickets from year to year.
Those season-ticket-renewal contributions alone can total in the tens of millions of dollars at many Power Five schools - in addition to the revenue generated by the face value of the season tickets themselves.
“Everyone’s throwing out scenarios right now, and the hope is obviously that the spread of the coronavirus is contained or medicines are discovered to control the situation, and we can get back to day-to-day operations as soon as possible,” said a third Power Five athletic director.
“But we don’t know that right now, so the scenarios have to include every possibility - and one of those would be a delayed start to the football season.”
There would have to be tremendous flexibility on the parts of all involved, including league television partners. But if the coronavirus pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that life as we knew it can be completely rewritten in a matter of days.
“Health and welfare of everyone involved is and will continue to be the absolute, No. 1 priority of schools,” said a fourth Power Five athletic director. “If it’s determined that it’s OK to play, then, yes, we have to be open to football season in any form.”
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly, Texas coach Tom Herman and others have said in order to start the football season as its currently scheduled for the fall, teams would need to begin conditioning in early June to be ready to put on the pads in July for training camp.
Other coaches have said that date could be moved into mid- to late June and have a shortened fall camp of 10 to 15 practices instead of the normal 25.
“Right now, I’m planning for the season to start on time,” said a fifth Power Five athletic director. “I don’t think our country’s economy can handle being shut down into the fall.”
The uncertain staying power of the coronavirus pandemic has athletic directors across the country considering a multitude of scenarios of how to adapt - and a growing number of those scenarios include the possibility of football season kicking off when bowl season is usually concluding.
“Football is the economic engine of athletics,” said a sixth Power Five athletic director. “If there’s a way to keep that engine running, you have to consider everything.”
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April 03, 2020 at 01:32AM
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