We might have college football this fall. We might not.
If we do, however, plans ought to be in place to adjust to an anything-but-normal reality.
I give you the Syracuse Orange football program, the one ACC football program whose normal home games are played indoors, in the Carrier Dome.
Very simply, Syracuse shouldn’t play its games in the Carrier Dome this year.
If fans in the stands are at 20 or 25-percent capacity, and there is a viewed need to play with fans due to the budgetary situation facing the school, play in the Buffalo Bills’ home stadium in Orchard Park, New York.
If fans in the stands simply isn’t realistic for Syracuse football, play in the city of Syracuse at a large high school stadium which might be able to support the use of a limited number of television cameras.
Is this insane? I don’t think so, ESPECIALLY if Syracuse does want to have a reduced-size crowd of fans.
Think about it for a bit: The NBA and NHL have their athletes in a bubble, contained in one area. As I write this article in late July, signs look promising for the professional sports leagues to finish their seasons. At the very least, signs look promising compared to two weeks ago. I offer no guarantees — no one should — but it’s more reasonable today (July 21) to think the NBA and NHL can pull this off.
The NBA, though, won’t have fans, at least not anything which can be compared to football’s attempt to get 20-percent capacity into a football stadium. That reality, plus the reality of a bubble, gives basketball (and hockey) a chance to make indoor sports safe.
Football? It’s a different story.
College football games last 60 to 75 minutes longer than NBA games, more or less. Football puts 22 players on its playing surface at one time, basketball only 10.
Are we absolutely sure playing indoors carries a bigger risk for football players than playing outdoors? I would be lying to you if I said YES, we can be absolutely sure.
Yet… can we be sure the risk ISN’T higher? We can’t say that, either.
Given that indoor situations and indoor circulation of viral material offer situations more conducive to the spread of the virus, why not move indoor football outdoors if there is any reasonable chance of doing so?
It’s not a permanent solution. It’s not a permanent circumstance. Hopefully, by the summer of 2021, a vaccine will be in place and relatively normal football operations can resume… but in 2020, normal doesn’t exist.
Let’s ask the following either-or question: Would you want Syracuse football to play outdoors in front of zero fans, or indoors in front of 20-percent capacity crowds?
The latter would look a LOT better on TV, and would get more money flowing into the SU program’s coffers… but the former would make Syracuse athletes and their parents sleep better at night.
Right now, which is more important, especially since TV money would be gained even under the outdoor no-fans scenario?
I know where I stand.
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