Wildhack Presser for April 23 | Syracusefan.com

Wildhack Presser for April 23

Stephen Bailey @Stephen_Bailey1
Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack is about to hold a virtual press conference. Will pass along updates here.

Wildhack starts by wishing everyone well and thanking healthcare workers as well as essential employees. "They are the definition of true heroes in the time that we're in."

Wildhack says "vast majority" of SU's athletes are home and participating in online classes. "This is the last week of classes. It's been a challenge for them and a challenge for us." He's proud of the athletic support the SU staff has provided.

There are 28 spring athletes who've expressed interest in returning for an extra year in 2021. 10 will be grad students, 16 will be in advanced studies and 2 will wrap up undergrad degrees. Wildhack told spring coaches that athletes had to be in good academic standing to return.

Dome update: construction is on track, as of Wildhack's last conversation with Pete Sala. "Everything is progressing as planned in terms of the stadium."

Wildhack channeling his inner Scott Shafer: "We need to control the controllables. It starts with making sure our student athletes are in a good place and supporting them every way we can." He specifies getting as many support staff folks in touch with athletes as possible.

School will try to provide fans flexible options for paying for tickets, will emphasize mobile ticketing.

Wildhack said his staff is being mindful of the fan experience in the future: "We really want to put a premium on mobile ticketing." He thinks the pandemic will lead to that happening for a lot of sporting events nation-wide.

Wildhack is asked about a potential year w/out football: "There's so many things that people have stated that are floated out there and the one thing I don't want to do is engage in speculation." Wildhack says the ACC has had no discussions of nixing FB. "We want to play."

Wildhack said he knows many options are possible. Didn't directly address a reporter's question of when the "drop-dead date" for making a decision on a season, but did say it's a fluid process.

Asked about revenue loss, Wildhack says he's spent a "tremendous amount of time" on budget w/ appropriate people. They've worked to identify where risks are and quantify them. "So much is unknown at this point in time."

What needs to happen for football to start? Wildhack said SU takes cues from "certain people" including Gov. Andrew Cuomo, county exec Ryan McMahon and other university officials. "You've got to see progress in terms of combating the virus, in terms of slowing the spread."

Wildhack said SU hasn't discussed cutting sports due to revenue loss. "We've had no discussion at all about eliminating sports. We run an efficient operation here, which we should. There's been no discussion about elimination of sports."

Wildhack on SU allowing spring athletes back: "I just thought it was the right thing to do, that we support those students who wanted to come back, as long as they were in good academic standing. We at athletics can be responsible for the finances of that, and that's fine."

Wildhack said a decision has not been made about summer athletics despite SU holding no in-person classes until the fall. He expects a decision made there in mid-to-late June. ACC ADs have spent a lot of time discussing the proper lead-up time for football.

Wildhack said Dino Babers and staff are "in contact with the team and players on very, very consistent basis." That includes position coaches and S&C staff. "We're trying to simulate as normal an environment as we can knowing we can't replicate it 100% right now."

Wildhack said ACC ADs and head coaches are targeting a six-week lead up period for the college football season. That number comes with intel from the medical side as well, though adjustments in preparation would have to be made. Priority is health and safety, Wildhack said.

Wildhack said ACC ADs haven't spent much time discussing playing football this spring rather than the fall. A concern that would be "front and center" -- impact on 2021 season, offseason timeline and health of players.

Wildhack says Syracuse is lucky to be healthy by and large. Doesn't directly answer a question about whether any players or coaches have gotten tested for COVID-19.

Wildhack thanks his top-earning coaches who accepted pay cuts during 1-on-1 conversations with Wildhack. He doesn't really answer a question asked about possibility of future pay cuts, furloughs, etc.

Wildhack on loss of NCAA Tournament revenue: "We're no different than any other entity. Every entity is challenged economically at this time." Wildhack points to cost containment measures with top coaches and himself taking a 10% salary reduction.

Wildhack said "athletics will manage" how scholarships are distributed next spring. He didn't guarantee earlier in the presser that returning athletes would all maintain the same financial support.

Wildhack asked about testing needed for campus life to return. No specifics provided. "No question, that's an important element to when we can reopen athletics."

Wildhack asked about TV money shift in a potentially shortened football season. Says TV execs will have a "tremendous" desire for live sports once they return; NFL Draft tonight will be an early indicator.

That does it. No significant information shared from my initial impression. Lots of wait-and-see answers, which is natural to an extent given the circumstances.
 
Last edited:
One additional point on mobile ticketing: While it has existed for a few years now, there will be an incentive program of some kind put in place to allow fans to opt in to ONLY mobile tickets as well as a communications blitz prompting fams to download their tickets at home since there are rumors that WiFi in the Dome area on game days might be just a bit spotty.
 
Consigliere said:
One additional point on mobile ticketing: While it has existed for a few years now, there will be an incentive program of some kind put in place to allow fans to opt in to ONLY mobile tickets as well as a communications blitz prompting fams to download their tickets at home since there are rumors that WiFi in the Dome area on game days might be just a bit spotty.
Expand...

There should be. You shouldn't rely solely on WiFi during game day. I've had terrible experiences at Barclays, MSG and Citi Field. Have your tickets loaded on the app before you get to the venue.
 
Consigliere said:
One additional point on mobile ticketing: While it has existed for a few years now, there will be an incentive program of some kind put in place to allow fans to opt in to ONLY mobile tickets as well as a communications blitz prompting fams to download their tickets at home since there are rumors that WiFi in the Dome area on game days might be just a bit spotty.
Expand...

Ironic that they want to switch to mobile ticketing, but they won't allow people to bring ipads into the Dome. :rolleyes:
 
If my son and his friends are any indication, if schools go on-line only next year, even if for one semester, there will be a lot of people taking that time off with a leave of absence. These classes, at least for him and his friends, have been brutal. Due to his practices, he had a number of evening classes. 3 hours in person is tough enough. 3 hours on-line, ugh.
 
Capt. Tuttle said:
If my son and his friends are any indication, if schools go on-line only next year, even if for one semester, there will be a lot of people taking that time off with a leave of absence. These classes, at least for him and his friends, have been brutal. Due to his practices, he had a number of evening classes. 3 hours in person is tough enough. 3 hours on-line, ugh.
Expand...

Yeah very few kids will come back in an on-line environment. If this was me I would probably end up transferring and figuring out a way to finish my schooling commuting locally. I'm lucky because I lived in Boston but there's no way i'd be paying full freight for on-line school. This will be a major issue for a school like SU where the majority of the full paying students come from NY/NJ/CT/MA
 
elimunelson said:
Yeah very few kids will come back in an on-line environment. If this was me I would probably end up transferring and figuring out a way to finish my schooling commuting locally. I'm lucky because I lived in Boston but there's no way i'd be paying full freight for on-line school. This will be a major issue for a school like SU where the majority of the full paying students come from NY/NJ/CT/MA
Expand...

I don't want to derail the thread with online education, but I saw a tweet this morning where someone mentioned he spoke to Harvard faculty and how they said they need to find a way to get kids back on campus because they're paying to go to Harvard not the University of Phoenix.
 
Capt. Tuttle said:
If my son and his friends are any indication, if schools go on-line only next year, even if for one semester, there will be a lot of people taking that time off with a leave of absence. These classes, at least for him and his friends, have been brutal. Due to his practices, he had a number of evening classes. 3 hours in person is tough enough. 3 hours on-line, ugh.
Expand...
It's good training for the real world, though. I've had 12 hour conference calls.
 
dollarbill44 said:
It's good training for the real world, though. I've had 12 hour conference calls.
Expand...
1587663697229.png
 
is there a difference thru sitting in a 2 hr class vs a 2 hr zoom class in how grueling it can be?
 
upperdeck said:
is there a difference thru sitting in a 2 hr class vs a 2 hr zoom class in how grueling it can be?
Expand...
I feel there is a HUGE difference. I've worked remotely for the last 14 years and I am the first one to tell anyone who will listen that it is not for everyone. That doesn't even consider the difficulty that a professor/TA needs to adjust to as well. There's a reason online education has only been an alternative avenue.
 
Online classes are bad and I haven’t talked to a single friend in college who thinks they’re getting their money’s worth. I don’t care what studies have been done, in-person classes are so much better.

The interaction, learning environment, structure, lack of distractions, and so much more can’t be replicated in online classes. I’m basically teaching myself at this point.

If I was an undergrad I wouldn’t give up a semester of the college experience as a whole to take online classes again, I’d sit the semester out.
 
you might sit out the semester and find out thats it 2-3 more too..

I got 2 kids going thru it.. one has found it no different, one has found it way more work.

But also in talking with a bunch of Profs,, most kids dont have the same Prof several times so they really dont know how hard the class was gonna be given they were only weeks into most courses..

But both kids have said the profs have been much more reachable than normally they would be and most kids in college dont bother to reach out and ask questions, they want it given too them.

On the flip side if you lived in dorms you got the education much cheaper and 1-2 semesters during a world crisis maybe is a good way to deal with it..
 
What happens to Cuse football if the rest of the ACC has no state restrictions that inhibit players being on campus, but NYS is still preventing campuses from opening?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

BVille44
    • Like
AP Top 25
2
Replies
31
Views
3K
VTAaron
V
BVille44
    • Like
Former WWE Wrestler Shane McMahon At UConn Game
2
Replies
43
Views
4K
corpjet
corpjet
Crusty
    • Like
    • Haha
    • Love
Thank you John Wildhack!
Replies
5
Views
674
Stevenson
Stevenson
OrangeXtreme
CFB Playoff Rankings for Nov 5
Replies
8
Views
1K
sugga
S

Forum statistics

Threads
171,948
Messages
4,983,809
Members
6,021
Latest member
OldeOstrom

Share this page

Online statistics

Members online
19
Guests online
4,110
Total visitors
4,129
Totals may include hidden visitors.


...
Top Bottom