Pondering How The College Basketball Season Will Play Out

[sutomcat]

New NCAA coronavirus guideline could ‘destroy’ college basketball seasons

One coach called it a “monster” roadblock. Another described it as “extreme.” A source from the Big East suggested it could lead to alterations in its planning for the season. The NCAA, through the…

nypost.com

One coach called it a “monster” roadblock. Another described it as “extreme.” A source from the Big East suggested it could lead to alterations in its planning for the season.

The NCAA, through the Sport Science Institute and its COVID-19 Medical Advisory Group, released health and safety guidelines and recommendations for college basketball’s Nov. 25 return amid the coronavirus pandemic, and one suggestion stood out:

If a player tests positive, the entire team should quarantine for 14 days and only work out individually in that time period, while noting that public health officials can override these determinations. That, depending on when a player tests positive, could wipe out up to four games and two weeks of practices.

“My first reaction was: How are we going to have a season if that’s going to be the case?” one head coach said. “One case is almost going to destroy your season. I think it’s too harsh. As long as you’re testing every other day, I don’t understand why it has to be that long.”

My understanding is that college ADs and coaches are lobbying hard to strike this 14 day quarantine requirement if teams are being tested every day.
Is daily testing enough to make that 14 day mandatory quarantine requirement go away? I think this is the core issue here and how it is answered might well determine if a full season of college basketball can be played.

In a conference like the ACC, you get half of the teams with a single positive test (that seems very conservative given what is going on with football and the coming colder weather), and the impact each of these quarantines will have on the other teams schedule to play them during the 14 day shutdown and you are going to end up with a situation where half the conference games will need to be rescheduled or not played. If a team has a couple of positive tests a couple of weeks apart, they might not play for 4 or 5 weeks.

This is going to require an exceptional performance by all teams in a given conference to get a season in. Unless they do away with the 14 day quarantine period. Which opens the door to possibly spreading the virus during games.

I hope we are able to play the full conference schedule of games. Right now, it seems like a really daunting task.

 

[Sherman20]

I cannot understand why they’re not doing non-conference/early season tourney bubbles and conference bubbles. This has been proven to work.

 

[DonLightfoot]

This is becoming very depressing and it is very tough to remain optimistic.

Tournaments are one thing as all the teams would be in one place for a period of time and a bubble would probably work. Regular "non tourney" games are another story. For example, putting all the ACC teams in one location for over two months having teams play every 3 or 4 days would be much more difficult. Then you have the schooling to worry about, although virtual learning seems to be very prominent these days.

If a team needs to quarantine for 14 days then the season is essentially a bust.

As I have said in other threads, I just want to have our team play this year even if it is only 15 to 20 games. Hopefully something can be worked out.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Why not just follow the standard football is?

Way bigger teams and so far it hasn't been perfect, but it seems like they have a handle on things.

 

[dollarbill44]

Why not have 4/5 team bubbles and play essentially mini tournaments throughout the conference season? So, the teams arrive in one place for a long weekend of round Robin games. Then 2 weeks off. Rotate teams and do it again. You can play a full conference slate in about 2 months while allowing for a pseudo-quarantine after each pod.

 

[sutomcat]

Why not have 4/5 team bubbles and play essentially mini tournaments throughout the conference season? So, the teams arrive in one place for a long weekend of round Robin games. Then 2 weeks off. Rotate teams and do it again. You can play a full conference slate in about 2 months while allowing for a pseudo-quarantine after each pod.

I think this kind of an approach is exactly what the powers that be in the conference are discussing. Pretty sure the schedule this season is going to be very different than what we are used to. I expect we will see a lot of 4 team 'tournaments' held at one site from Friday to Sunday, where each team gets 3 games in. Do that 6 or 7 weekends in a row and you have the conference schedule completed.

There are likely going to be a lot of 'home' games played at neutral sites. Not expecting any fans, at least not for the games played north of the Mason-Dixon line.

 

[dollarbill44]

I think this kind of an approach is exactly what the powers that be in the conference are discussing. Pretty sure the schedule this season is going to be very different than what we are used to. I expect we will see a lot of 4 team 'tournaments' held at one site from Friday to Sunday, where each team gets 3 games in. Do that 6 or 7 weekends in a row and you have the conference schedule completed.

There are likely going to be a lot of 'home' games played at neutral sites. Not expecting any fans, at least not for the games played north of the Mason-Dixon line.

I'm sure that when we "host" Duke and UNC it will be in such a 'tournament' in Greensboro.

 

[Orangezoo]

I'm sure that when we "host" Duke and UNC it will be in such a 'tournament' in Greensboro.

Given North Carolina is still a fairly hot state with CoVid case numbers that actually might not be able to play out that way for them.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Given North Carolina is still a fairly hot state with CoVid case numbers that actually might not be able to play out that way for them.

Remember Cuomo banned SUNY schools from playing in NC one or two years ago due to politics, could he ban all NYS teams from playing in these hot states or forcing long quarantine on them upon return.

 

[Orangezoo]

Remember Cuomo banned SUNY schools from playing in NC one or two years ago due to politics, could he ban all NYS teams from playing in these hot states or forcing long quarantine on them upon return.

Good point. I do wonder how this plays out .

 

[pfister1]

I think this kind of an approach is exactly what the powers that be in the conference are discussing. Pretty sure the schedule this season is going to be very different than what we are used to. I expect we will see a lot of 4 team 'tournaments' held at one site from Friday to Sunday, where each team gets 3 games in. Do that 6 or 7 weekends in a row and you have the conference schedule completed.

There are likely going to be a lot of 'home' games played at neutral sites. Not expecting any fans, at least not for the games played north of the Mason-Dixon line.

Is the biggest issue with pods or mini-pods that the NCAA and schools haven't yet given up on the idea of having fans (and revenue from them) at games at some point this winter?

 

[sutomcat]

Is the biggest issue with pods or mini-pods that the NCAA and schools haven't yet given up on the idea of having fans (and revenue from them) at games at some point this winter?

I think that is one issue. There are a lot of logistics to work out. Still a lot of uncertainty.

I think it is a given most, if not all teams are going to have at least one positive test. Some are trying hard to make the argument that daily testing should make the mandatory 2 week quarantine requirement for the entire team go away. This issue could well determine whether a relatively complete basketball season is possible. I am not arguing one way or another on the 2 week quarantine vs daily testing debate. Not a doctor. But I think this is a major decision that will play a big role in how the college basketball season goes.

My guess is that this will end up being a local issue. I don't see White House or the NCAA taking the lead on this. My guess is that we will see what we have seen to date: inconsistent rules. I expect Syracuse, BC and Pitt are going to be required to quarantine for 2 weeks after every positive test for a player or staff member. I expect schools from the south will probably say daily testing is sufficient. I think this will probably lead to a lot of teams down south getting in trouble and missing a lot of time because of serious outbreaks.

Hope I am wrong.

To answer another issue, I don't think Cuomo and other governors are going to have a problem with teams coming and going for athletic events as long as they travel from the airport to their hotel to the arena, back to the hotel and back to the airport. That stuff has already been established for football, basketball will surely follow the same procedures and I don't see it being a problem.

 

[TampaLaker]

I think that is one issue. There are a lot of logistics to work out. Still a lot of uncertainty.

I think it is a given most, if not all teams are going to have at least one positive test. Some are trying hard to make the argument that daily testing should make the mandatory 2 week quarantine requirement for the entire team go away. This issue could well determine whether a relatively complete basketball season is possible. I am not arguing one way or another on the 2 week quarantine vs daily testing debate. Not a doctor. But I think this is a major decision that will play a big role in how the college basketball season goes.

My guess is that this will end up being a local issue. I don't see White House or the NCAA taking the lead on this. My guess is that we will see what we have seen to date: inconsistent rules. I expect Syracuse, BC and Pitt are going to be required to quarantine for 2 weeks after every positive test for a player or staff member. I expect schools from the south will probably say daily testing is sufficient. I think this will probably lead to a lot of teams down south getting in trouble and missing a lot of time because of serious outbreaks.

Hope I am wrong.

To answer another issue, I don't think Cuomo and other governors are going to have a problem with teams coming and going for athletic events as long as they travel from the airport to their hotel to the arena, back to the hotel and back to the airport. That stuff has already been established for football, basketball will surely follow the same procedures and I don't see it being a problem.

Do not follow northeast guidelines closely, but didn't NY, PA, and MA all have 24 hour time limit on travel to states deemed to be over set levels of exposure which included FL, GA, SC, and IN. How could SU, BC, or Pitt travel to a weekend POD in any of these states? Has that restriction been removed? If not, do we really believe that the ACC will force the five schools in those states to all have to travel to the north for their games?

Just wondering as I do not know what restrictions are still in place or being restored in the northeast.

 

[sutomcat]

Do not follow northeast guidelines closely, but didn't NY, PA, and MA all have 24 hour time limit on travel to states deemed to be over set levels of exposure which included FL, GA, SC, and IN. How could SU, BC, or Pitt travel to a weekend POD in any of these states? Has that restriction been removed? If not, do we really believe that the ACC will force the five schools in those states to all have to travel to the north for their games?

Just wondering as I do not know what restrictions are still in place or being restored in the northeast.

I believe the governors of these NE states made special exceptions for athletic teams subject to certain rules being followed. I think they are allowed to go to their hotel, the arena and the airport. That is it. I don't have a link but that is what I remember reading...

 

[andyw715]

What happened to the cheap rapid testing Trump announced last Monday?
Yes there are false neg's but since its fast and cheap you can test multiple times per day. Certainly those combined with the 3 W's and strict movement/contact tracing would help.

A positive test would result in an immediate PCR and sequestering of the team while multiple additional rapid tests are administered. Maybe PCR tests to close contacts of the affected. - as shortened sequester

 

[Newhouser]

I believe the governors of these NE states made special exceptions for athletic teams subject to certain rules being followed. I think they are allowed to go to their hotel, the arena and the airport. That is it. I don't have a link but that is what I remember reading...

I thought the 24 hour window was still on and that is why the football team traveled late to UNC and Pitt, wanted the trip to be 22 hours. I may have made that up though as sadly for me covid information fatigue has definitely kicked in.

 

[721Comstock]

I thought the 24 hour window was still on and that is why the football team traveled late to UNC and Pitt, wanted the trip to be 22 hours. I may have made that up though as sadly for me covid information fatigue has definitely kicked in.

I concur.

You’re probably right.
or, it could be totally made up.

2020 everybody!

 

[upperdeck]

with pool testing you are really only talking 2 tests a day for a b-ball team and staff. thats very low cost. do it twice a day if you want.

 

[bballbeadle]

Is the biggest issue with pods or mini-pods that the NCAA and schools haven't yet given up on the idea of having fans (and revenue from them) at games at some point this winter?

I am wondering this as well. I renewed my season tickets by phone a couple months ago (somehow during Covid I had completely forgotten to renew online) and when the nice rep asked me if I wanted my seat backs again, I said no, that I imagined next year we would have the new improved seats. He was surprised and said “But what about this year?” I said, “I am sure we aren’t having fans this year and if we are, my daughter and I aren’t coming in any case.” He again acted surprised.

This is such a sad topic. I know I am not alone in saying that attending the bball games every year was a highlight of my admittedly mundane life.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

I am wondering this as well. I renewed my season tickets by phone a couple months ago (somehow during Covid I had completely forgotten to renew online) and when the nice rep asked me if I wanted my seat backs again, I said no, that I imagined next year we would have the new improved seats. He was surprised and said “But what about this year?” I said, “I am sure we aren’t having fans this year and if we are, my daughter and I aren’t coming in any case.” He again acted surprised.

This is such a sad topic. I know I am not alone in saying that attending the bball games every year was a highlight of my admittedly mundane life.

I've been paying every month but just assumed that if there are no games that they would just carryover our payments but I never even asked. And it is definitely a highlight to help get through the winter. Could be a long winter if we can't attend, which I am expecting.

 

[Ticket Guy]

. And it is definitely a highlight to help get through the winter. Could be a long winter if we can't attend, which I am expecting.

I agree just can't seem to think that fans will be allowed this year and the thought of no BB will make for a long winter around here.

 

[Cusesky8214]

 

[orange79]

I guess Italian restaurants are out for him, then.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

I guess Italian restaurants are out for him, then.

Those are fine as long as he keeps it to a quick in and out...

 

[UpstateSM]