Barbour said Penn State athletics will still be in "good shape" financially despite the pandemicgetty images
Penn State AD Sandy Barbour is "hopeful" there will be a college football season this year "in some form, even if it has to be carried" into '21, according to Joe Juliano of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. Barbour said, "I believe it is in everyone's best interest, when it's safe and right to do so, that we play a football season. We've talked about kind of the emotional and the morale piece for communities across the country. Then obviously there's a revenue and a financial piece to it. So if our return fits into the time frame that we have to do it in a non-traditional part of the year, I think we'll all look to try to make that happen." Concerning the athletic department's overall financial situation, Barbour said that she and her staff have "examined possible shortfalls" for FY '19-20 and "determined 'we're going to be in good shape.'" Meanwhile, Juliano notes results of a survey released Thursday by LEAD1, an association of ADs from 130 major-college football schools, "showed 63% believe their revenues will decrease by about 20%" during the '20-21 school year, even with an abbreviated football season (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 4/3). Barbour also said, "Regarding whether it would be feasible to play in empty stadiums, certainly mechanically it would be. But, I don't see intersecting health and safety and return to campus by students -- which would include student athletes -- I don't see that mixing with the ability to play without fans" (PENNLIVE.com, 4/2).
OTHERS WEIGH IN: Pitt AD Heather Lyke said she is "hopeful" college football will start as it typically does in August, but added that she "couldn't offer a personal level of confidence." Lyke said of potentially playing games with no fans, "If we're playing the game, I think we'll be playing it in front of fans. If there's a concern about human contact, we wouldn't be playing the game." She added, "I don't anticipate playing games without fans." But Lyke "understands she otherwise has to keep her mind open and roll with the punches." Lyke said she is "willing to consider all things right now," whether that be a delayed football season or one that features only conference games (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 4/3). Missouri AD Jim Sterk said that he is "still working as if the fall athletics season will be played." Sterk said that there is "no specific date or timetable they're looking at as far as whether the football season will happen." But he added that just because classes are online, if the school "stays open, there's a chance for football practices and similar activities" (K.C. STAR, 4/3).
POTENTIALLY DEVASTATING BLOW: Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard said, "If we can't play football this fall, I mean it's Ice Age time. Because there is nobody in our industry right now that could reasonably forecast a contingency plan for how they would get through not playing any football games." THE ATHLETIC's Scott Dochterman noted of Iowa State athletics' $87.55M FY '20 budget, 14% ($12.5M) was from "projected football ticket sales." Another $40M "comes from the Big 12 and NCAA," and about 85% of that number is football-related. The total revenues "vary at different campuses, but the percentages are similar." So are the "prospects that a year without football would ruin athletic departments." Pollard: "The thought that (there's) no football and losing an entire season, that's a complete game-changer. College athletics wouldn't -- I'm not going to say go away as we know it, but it's probably closer to that answer" (THEATHLETIC.com, 4/2).
