Menu
Colleges

ACC Planning On Normal Football Season, But Exploring Contingencies

Swofford said that scenarios for '20-21 cover having an abbreviated football season or no footballGETTY IMAGES

ACC Commissioner John Swofford said that while the conference is "anticipating having a relatively normal football season," it also is "financially planning for a series of scenarios amid the coronavirus pandemic that not only include having no football season, but also having no sports at all this upcoming school year," according to Steve Berkowitz of USA TODAY. Swofford also said that he believes it "will not be necessary for all of the ACC schools' programs to be operational for the conference to conduct fall sports competition, that testing of athletes will be a critical component of the resumption of team training on campus and that uniform protocols within the conference concerning the frequency and timing of testing will be a goal before the resumption of competition." Swofford said that scenarios for '20-21 also "cover having an abbreviated football season and having no football season but then having a basketball season." Asked whether he can see the ACC functioning if some schools and/or some athletics programs are up and running and some are not, Swofford said, "Probably so. I don't know what the threshold is on that. We haven't really reached a point of having that discussion. I'm sure we will. ... It's premature to answer that" (USA TODAY, 5/15).

LEARNING CURVE: In Greensboro, Ed Hardin notes Swofford "would prefer that students be in session before college games could be played." Swofford: "Intercollegiate athletics is students playing sports. Personally, that seems foreign to me." He added, "If campuses are back and generally operating and teaching in whatever way, that certainly improves the likelihood that games are being played" (Greensboro NEWS & RECORD, 5/15).

MORE DECISIONS TO BE MADE: In Tallahassee, Curt Weiler notes the ACC has "not yet discussed eliminating or reducing the size of any conference championship events." Swofford said that he "doesn't want to see a premature decision and that the conference will adjust depending on how the next few months play out." Swofford also said that the conference is "aware of the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus in the fall and that is forcing conference officials to create more hypothetical possibilities for how the fall season may play out" (TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT, 5/15).

GROUP EFFORT: In Richmond, David Teel notes the ACC has "appointed a COVID-19 medical advisory panel." The group "includes one member from each of the 15 league schools" and is chaired by Duke Associate Professor of Medicine Dr. Cameron Wolfe. Moreover, a committee of four ACC ADs -- Clemson's Dan Radakovich, Miami's Blake James, N.C. State's Boo Corrigan and Syracuse's John Wildhack -- is "studying football issues." Virginia Tech AD Whit Babcock, a member of the NCAA D-I football oversight committee, "offers input to the league panel" (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 5/15).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2020/05/15/Colleges/ACC.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2020/05/15/Colleges/ACC.aspx

CLOSE