SBJ College: Finebaum Discusses State Of Football

LSU coach Ed Orgeron called football the "lifeblood of our country." I love college football, but I don’t know about that.

Here is what's cookin' on campus.

FINEBAUM: NEXT FEW WEEKS "CRITICAL" FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL

• Paul Finebaum has had a front-row seat for the unraveling of the 2020 football season over the last few weeks, as the prospects for the season have gone from hopeful to downright discouraging. His SEC Network show could be considered ground zero for the COVID-19 debate over whether there will be a season and, if so, what it will look like. We could very well know by the start of August, prompting Finebaum to call the next few weeks the most critical in the history of college football. Here are some excerpts from my conversation with him this morning:
  
  
• On talking about the fate of the upcoming season day after day on his show: “It's really an interesting balancing act. We are entering what I think is one of the most critical two-or-three weeks in the history of college football. So, it’s extremely difficult for me to say, ‘OK, let's spend 20 or 30 minutes on that and then talk about Georgia’s quarterback job.’ We go from commissioners to athletic directors to journalists -- all giving us their best opinion. It’s like diving into an endless pool.”
  
  
• On the last two to three weeks, when the coronavirus surged again: “We got to July and the numbers were spiking and the optimism for the season started to wane. And that really turned the last two weeks into where we are right now, which is an absolute and utter state of confusion.”
  
  
• On SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, a regular guest on the show throughout the pandemic: “I told him some time ago that he’s maybe the most important figure in all of this and I wanted him to feel comfortable coming on. After one show, he was worried that he didn’t explain something well enough. And I told Greg, ‘That’s not really the point.’ I wanted him to be like FDR delivering a fireside chat with the nation. … But the last two weeks, I would say, have been remarkably solemn and sobering.”
  
  
• On whether the nation is watching the SEC’s next move: “There is some concern that the SEC might be going about this by itself, which I do not believe. I think Sankey is being sincere in trying to be as collaborative as possible. Even when I asked him about Kevin Warren’s decision for the Big Ten to go conference-only, he could have made a big deal, but he was very diplomatic. His response basically said this is no time for skirmishes.”
  
  
• Listen to the latest SBJ Unpacks podcast for my full interview with Finebaum.

NCAA EXPECTED TO ISSUE NEW COVID GUIDELINES

• Now that athletes have returned to campus and team activities are well under way, the NCAA is expected to issue the next iteration of its “Resocialization” protocols, possibly this week. The NCAA last issued its guidelines for the return to campus in late May. It included standards for schools and athletes to follow so that they could safely resume voluntary workouts in early June. It included “action plan considerations” such as distancing, disinfecting counter and table tops, self-quarantining and staying home if feeling ill.
  
  
• The next round of protocols is expected to be more specific about health screens and testing leading up to the start of training camp and competition. Most football programs, especially those at the FBS level, have had athletes going through workouts for 4-6 weeks now. Beginning Monday, players were allowed to move into team activities as part of a new calendar established by the NCAA’s Division I Council. Training camp will begin Aug. 7 for those teams that open their schedule on Sept. 5. 

SPEED READS

• The murky status of college sports in the fall has Ohio State’s athletic department beginning its new fiscal year on July 1 with a rare two-month interim budget. The Columbus Dispatch notes any larger cuts for the athletic department "would likely come once the budget for the remaining 10 months of the fiscal year is determined." But AD Gene Smith says "none of those potential cuts include dropping teams or reducing the salaries of coaches."
  
  
• The ACC and independent BYU are the latest groups to postpone virtual football media days. The ACC has yet to make a determination on its scheduling for its season. When the Big Ten and Pac-12 moved to in-conference play only for the 2020 season, those moves alone eliminated five games from the BYU schedule. The Deseret News notes one option for BYU could be "moving the Utah State game from early October to Sept. 3, 4 or 5, because the Aggies’ opener vs. Washington State in Logan was also canceled by the Pac-12’s directive."
  
  
• Boise State, which in April became the first FBS school to give coaches furloughs, will look to boost athletic department revenue in the fall by opening up beer and seltzer sales in Albertsons Stadium’s main concessions areas. The Idaho Statesman notes the sale of alcohol during football games has been an "often contentious topic of discussion, dating back to at least 2011." 
  
  
• Washington State is the latest athletic department to partner with branding consultant Jeremy Darlow, who will educate and assist student-athletes. This is the sixth college client for Darlow, a former Adidas exec.
  
  
• We're thankful for a speedy recovery for Florida AD Scott Stricklin, who tested positive for COVID-19 last week and told the Orlando Sentinel's Edgar Thompson he had "mild symptoms." Stricklin: "I never really had any anxiety. ... My family’s fine." Believe it or not, Stricklin is the first person that I know personally who tested positive for coronavirus.

2020 SBJ THOUGHT LEADERS RETREAT (VIRTUAL)

• Aug. 13, 2:00-7:00pm ET (by invitation only)
  
  
• The road ahead has never been more challenging -- and it has never been more important for executive leadership to pause, learn, reflect and relax in order to prepare themselves to step up and navigate what the future holds. This year, we are continuing the tradition of Thought Leaders, creating the industry’s most intimate, senior-level event with a virtual program.
  
  
• Content will include:
  
  
  • Mindful Leadership with Pandit Dasa
  • The C-Suite Imperative: Corporate Responsibility & Social Impact
  • The New Fan Experience: A 360-degree approach; a 365-day Journey
  • Reinvented: A Conversation with Agent Leigh Steinberg
  • Supporting Social Justice Reform: Backing Words with Action
  • Navigating the Road Ahead: Fundamental Shifts We Can Expect in the Sports Business (group discussions)
    
    
• In addition to the compelling content, we will have plenty of time for some of the best virtual networking activities of the year, including:
  
  
  • Jack Daniel’s whiskey tasting
    • Aquimo golf (live challenge)
    • Aquimo cornhole (live challenge)
    • Cooking demo with "Iron Chef" Marc Forgione
    • A private set from John Popper and Brian Wilson of Blues Traveler
    
    
• For more information please visit,www.Thought-Leaders-Retreat.com.

Enjoying this newsletter? We've got more! Check out SBJ Media with John Ourand and SBJ Esports with Adam Stern and Trent Murray. Also check out the SBJ Unpacks newsletter every Monday-Friday night, as we look at how the sports industry is being impacted by COVID-19.

Something on the College beat catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to either me (msmith@sportsbusinessjournal.com) or Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessjournal.com) and we'll share the best of it. Also contributing to this newsletter is Thomas Leary (tleary@sportsbusinessdaily.com).