Time for the Pac-12 to get bold and get moving: Let teams play on Halloween if they can do it safely
Schedule non-conference games: Even a handful would help save jobs
The unified group of conference executives, presidents, athletic directors and coaches that had navigated the pandemic for six months has fractured, with deep frustration at multiple levels, sources told the Hotline.
The aggravation boiled over after the presidents declined Friday to set a start date for the season, likely delaying the season openers until Nov. 7.
Many teams had hoped to play Oct. 31.
They felt they could do it safely, thanks to the daily antigen tests available at the end of this month.
They felt the players could be ready, at least at many schools.
But the presidents declined to move forward.
They did so because not every school can be ready for Halloween.
UCLA, in particular, believes it needs closer to eight weeks because players have not been working out regularly, sources said.
That’s fine. Not everyone’s ready.
So USC can be ready on Oct. 31st, and UCLA can’t be.
We get it.
Here’s what we don’t get:
Why didn’t the conference collectively shift into a higher gear of urgency the day it signed the partnership with Quidel?
That was Sept. 3, the Thursday before Labor Day.
The deal to provide rapid-result, daily antigen tests was justifiably hailed as a “game-changer” by commissioner Larry Scott because it would solve the medical experts’ primary concern — it would keep infected players off the field.
And yet, very little happened to reflect the change in the game, at least for a week.
(The Oregonian’s John Canzano reported that coaches are frustrated that the conference office lacked a plan.)
From our vantage point, one school recognized the need for action in the most publicly proactive sense.
The letter published by USC players on social media on Tuesday, asking California Governor Gavin Newsom for help, added energy and urgency to the situation.
The next day, commissioner Larry Scott met with Newsom, and the Mercury News asked Newsom for an explanation of his restrictions.
On the defensive, largely due to the USC letter, Newsom agreed to clear a path.
Combined with the Big Ten’s announcement that morning, the Pac-12’s return-to-play shifted into a higher gear.
The timeline required to play safely was an issue, for sure. But Hotline sources said that at least half the teams could be ready for games on Oct. 31.
The Arizona and Mountain schools, in particular, have been able to work out regularly with most of their players.
Their ramp time, for instance, could be significantly less than the eight weeks UCLA is said to need.
“Six weeks is the sweet spot,” one coach told the Hotline, “if necessary we could do it in four.”
They don’t need to do it in four.
Nobody needs to do it in four.
If the presidents approve the restart when they meet again on Thursday, teams would have five weeks to get ready for a Halloween kickoff.
Those that can do it safety in five would do it in five.
If you can’t, you can’t.
The Pac-12 needs to get out of its comfortable mental space on this and allow itself to move more quickly that it prefers.
Again, nobody gets forced into anything if the players aren’t ready.
But the presidents should provide clearance for Oct. 31 for whichever teams want it and allow non-conference games to be played that weekend.
Yes, non-conference games.
Remember those?
The Pac-12 axed its non-conference schedule in early July because the games weren’t viewed as safe: The opponents wouldn’t necessarily have the same health standards.
And at the time, that was the right thing to do.
But the dynamics have changed, thanks to the partnership with Quidel.
Not only can the Pac-12 teams test their players each day with a process that, according to computer modeling, is more effective than the NFL’s testing plan, but the conference could ensure that the opponent is tested daily.
Ship the Oct. 31 opponent enough tests to cover 150 people daily for five days. At $22 per test, that’s just $16,000.
Then on both Friday night and Saturday morning, have a medical official from the Pac-12 team oversee the opponent’s testing process to confirm the negatives.
As for opponents, well, Army needs a game that day.
The Mountain West teams, who are eyeing a late-October return, could be interested.
If the Hotline were running the Pac-12, we would be on the phone with MW commissioner Craig Thompson today to examine whether matchups are feasible.
Maybe they aren’t, you don’t know without asking.
Or, the presidents should let the Pac-12 teams play each other in games that don’t count in the standings.
Equality is important in the number of conference games. But if the total number played is different from one team to the next, so what?
There is precedent: Colorado and Arizona State played a basketball game in China last November, then squared off during the conference season.
Even if only six or eight teams play on the 31st, that’s something.
It’s opportunity for the players. It’s a vital extra game for any potential College Football Playoff contenders — I’d imagine USC and Oregon would be willing to play on Halloween (not against each other, however) — and it’s revenue.
It’s revenue that could offset job losses and furloughs.
How much? We can back-of-the-envelope the numbers …
The Pac-12 was scheduled to receive $276 million from Fox and ESPN this season for 44 regular-season games and the conference championship, according to the term sheet.
Obviously, the disrupted season will lower the total. But it’s essentially $6.1 million per game if split evenly over the 45.
Let’s assign a higher value to the championship and figure the regular-season matchups work out to about $5 million per game.
Even if only six teams can play, that’s plenty worth it.
That will help save jobs.
Why not play on Halloween if they can do so safely?
Why not get outside the comfort zone?
Why not do something that doesn’t quite make sense, until you cast it against the backdrop of 2020.
The presidents and the conference need to push forward.
Leadership isn’t always methodical.
Sometimes, you have to be bold.
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TrojanDailyBlog members — Always feel free to add information or topics to the TDB which don’t necessarily pertain to any particular moderator post or member comment.
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Can Sam Darnold stick in the NFL? It’s plays like this that make you believe. He either needs to make a lot more of them “while running for his life”, or he needs a team with far superior culture.
Running for his life…
You know what fed the Jets financially for 10+ years ???????………One stinkin game…..Upsetting Colts Super Bowl ..They lived off that financially for a decade……. That what we need….A BIG UPSET vs top-10 team….Become more attractive to top high school players all over the country….But I am getting concerned that my view of SC football status and our University Presidents view are different because what my USC priorities are starting to look different than our University President .
So many of us are worried just like you. If USC doesn’t land local DE Korey Foreman and he splits for a big-time program way across the country, it’ll just be another reason to insist Clay Helton take a hike, and for good.
Like you I am a fan of Bohn and how he is running the athletic department. But as long as he has Clay as the HC the program cannot become a recruiting power and consistent contender for a NC. He has to find a way to remove Clay and find a new pied piper for the Trojans. There has to be a Dabo, Lincoln or Ryan out there. There has to be;right?
Ya, there definitely is. All the great programs have gone through periods where they were undercoached and needed a big fish to come in and rectify things.
The problem has always been that those guys are hard to find and can be even harder to land. Many also fail on their way up the ladder, and Tom Herman may be the latest big shot example of this.
What you say is true. AL had at a string of mediocrity or outright failure before they found Saban. I try to refrain from personal attacks on Clay and try to focus on his record. He has at best been a average HC and his record could realistically be described as below average. He is who he is. His record is deep enough and tenure long enough to clearly say he is incapable of developing a championship program and culture. I am afraid he won’t be going anywhere soon, but I do hold some hope that Bohn will come to… Read more »
Clay Helton has had a horrible habit of leading USC into huge, blow-out losses in important games. He also loves to win ugly for some reason. I would call him a below-average USC coach and I can’t imagine him being successful anywhere else. Picture him following Lane Kiffin’s path and being even remotely successful at places like ALA (OC) and FAU (HC). Fat chance. I can only hope Bohn is biding his time to make a switch because that’s all he’s been allowed to do as of now. If I’m wrong there and he truly loves Helton, we’re all in… Read more »
If you are wrong, TDB will become even more depressing.
God forbid, eh? Any good news you have to share T5? Sure would like to hear some from you guys.
It may be a strange season, but we do have football . And SC will be starting soon. It may not be much but it is better than the alternative.
HOF 19: Your priorities are STARTING TO look different than our little university president? Have you been travelling for a while? Like to Mars? Another dimension in time?😄 Sorry, but foltie has been trying to crash the SS Trojan on the nearest rocky shore or reef she can find since the day she walked on campus with those little goose steps that she favors….😨😫
“Foltie trying to crash the USS Trojan,,,” Evokes humorous, diabolical cartoon image, if it weren’t so tragic.
The Big Ten announces their CFB season will begin Oct. 24 with NEB at OHIO ST on Fox.
Colin Cowherd on the value of culture — “Talent without culture is what Antonio Brown’s career looks like right now. Le’Veon Bell goes from the Steelers to the Jets. Look where he is right now. His career is irrelevant. Cam Newton goes to New England because the ‘culture thing’ is really valuable. The rock star needs the orchestra. Belichick’s the best coach Cam could ever get.” Newton — “New England has been challenging for my growth, making me better, and also it has been a place that has given me everything for my needs at this point in time in… Read more »
Allen, You have repeated stated the culture is the #1 predictor of success in football. And SC has not had a winning culture for years. Helton is incapable of producing one. We will not know until the end of 2021 is assistants supported by the AD can set the culture. Thus, SC is doomed for at least another three to four years. Really amazing.
I think we all know how important “culture” is in a football program. And I agree that Helton’s soft, unaccountable culture has set back USC football greatly with all the ugly wins and demoralizing lopsided losses to prove it. Unfortunately, Bohn is playing with a hand tied behind his back and he’s trying to improve USC’s culture through better assts/coords. I think USC can be improved, even “good” this way — but never “great” and not a national championship contender. I see Helton at USC through 2023. I’m interested to see how Trojan fans feel about the team by the… Read more »
Colin Cowherd — “The New York television ratings for the Jets and Giants, easily the two worst teams we’ve seen, are the lowest they’ve ever been. The biggest city in America has turned off football. The Jet’s ratings over the weekend were like a three.That’s a Yankee regular season baseball game, and the Jets have a lot of fans. “They’re are discussions in New York today that they may pick one and two. Do they go with Trevor Lawrence? If I’m the Giants, I’ve gotta think long and hard about it. There’s nobody in your city to put your arms… Read more »
As a person that lives in NY Metro area …..What is the #1 bad thing about football in this area ( a question I have asked my co-workers and neighbors for 1/2 a century ……. I am knocking on the door of 70 yrs old) .Yes the status of Pro football in this area is always a top story but something that San Francisco …….Chicago…….New Orleans ….Any Major city in Texas….Miami …….people in Nebreska………Los Angeles AND MANY MORE have that we do not have here in NY Metro Area. ( In my neck of the woods there is a feeling… Read more »
I will repeat there is no “feeling” for college football in my area on saturday mornings like there is in 90% of the rest of this country and that will always be the #1 football fact of NY/NJ Area .
I know it’s not in the NY Metro area, but does SYRA inspire any real following in New York? The team’s always mediocre, but even if they were very good, would people like yourself HOF19, get behind them big-time?
What most people tell me over the last 4+ decades ……….Rutgers sucks (and always will !!!!!!!) Penn ST and Syracuse too far away geography-wise to have interest grow enough to become noticeable .
My brother (Giants fan who loves college football ) got tired of waiting started to follow Boston College 20 years ago and dreaming even today that they (good luck ) will win ACC !
Personally, I’ve always liked BC. I enjoyed a very good relationship with the Eagles staff when I published SuperPrep, and went to Boston to check out how they did stuff. Also, they beat Lou Holtz in that incredible late wobbly field goal game, and I’ve always loved them for doing what USC just couldn’t seem to do at the time!
I have found that interesting that Penn St is the only football power in the Northeast, nothing north of the Penn-NY state line. Syracuse and BC have not been a player in forever. Too Ivy League up there.
PSU truly is the ONLY CFB power in the Northeast. And then Paterno and Sandusky got exposed. The Nittany Lions have survived under Franklin, and I personally like their uniforms VERY much! Not quite as much as USC’s though…
And My brother keeps reminding me that in the last 10 years BC has upset USC in games vs SC …..Which is why I will ALWAYS want SC to get back to being a TOP-10 team ……..YEAR-IN-YEAR-OUT…….And yes if leaving the Pac-12 makes that happen again ?????…….DO IT !!!!!
I realize that the opinion of leaving the Pac-12 might put me in the minority of SC Fans …….But we got to get better as a program !!!!!!!
I’m with you HOF19. I never thought I would feel this way, but I’m just sick of the namby-pamby Pac-12 and it’s horrible leadership from the presidents and Larry Scott. I’d now LOVE for USC to leave the conference that tried to brutally sink it even further during the Bush take-down by the NCAA. But I don’t think USC will ever do it and can only hope that major conference shake-ups in the future will force USC’s hand to bind itself with better football schools if “independent” doesn’t prove possible. Being in the woeful Pac-12 has now just proven to… Read more »
Thanx Allen nice to know I ain’t alone ……..FIGHT ON !!!!!
HOF19, you are preaching to the choir on this Board! It took me a while, but I now even have Allen on board! Never thought I would see that! We all realize that so long as Caruso/Folt (President Madame Mao) are leading, there is zero chance this happens, but with even a modicum of leadership, SC would be planning on exiting the Pac. I would love to see Larry Scott try to negotiate media rights without SC!
Sorry RJJ. I’m not on board with you. Just because I want to see USC leave the Pac-12 (like so many of us now) in no way puts me there. We aren’t on the same page here from what I can see. 🙂 😎
Hey! What about Fordham? Alma Mater of Vince Lombardi? Isn’t Fordham in NYC?
Fordham University (/ˈfɔːrdəm/) is a private research university in New York City, United States. Established in 1841 and named for the Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx in which its original campus is located, Fordham is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit university in the northeastern United States,[and the third-oldest university in New York State.
The football program was first established in 1882 and gained national renown in the early 20th century. Fordham football played on some of the largest stages in sports, including games in front of sellout crowds at the Polo Grounds and Yankee Stadium, a Cotton Bowl appearance and a Sugar Bowl victory. The program produced the famed Seven Blocks of Granite, one of whom was the great Vince Lombardi.
Is the west coast far behind the Northeast? The present SC administration has the Northeast as its ideal.
So you’re saying USC now wants Trojan football to be like SYRA and RUT? Sorry, still don’t see it.
I never want the NE as any ideal I aspire to–no, no NO!
Never happening. Period.
Fordham Rams — join the Maroon Club and relish playing in the Patriot League vs Lehigh and Lafayette!
OC Register/AP — A California businessman said to have steered “Full House” star Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, to the ringleader of the college admissions bribery scheme admitted Monday to paying $40,000 to rig his daughter’s ACT score. Mark Hauser, who was once head of the board at the high school the famous couple’s daughters attended, and is also a private equity and insurance executive in the Cincinnati area, became the 29th parent to plead guilty to participating in the scandal involving top universities across the country. Lawyers for the famous couple said at their sentencing hearings last… Read more »
San Diego UT, September 23, 2020, page A2 Audit finds UC wrongly admitted ‘connected’ students The University of California “inappropriately admitted” at least 64 wealthy, mostly White students over the past six years as “favors to donors, family, and friends,“ according to an audit released Tuesday that found hundreds more questionable cases of students accepted to the top UC schools. “This is a significant problem that the university needs to deal with,” State Auditor Elaine Howle said in a telephone interview. “Let’s hope this isn’t occurring across the country, or at other universities in California. Howle said she believes the… Read more »
@Golden Trojan USC’s the school that overwhelmingly got the majority of the negative publicity because of the big-name people trying to get their kids in, and unfortunately, some of our best coaches and higher-ups in the athletic admin were found out to actually on the take money-wise. People like revered water polo genius Jovan Vavic and the mysterious Donna Heinel have been criminally indicted and seem to be on their way to jail to me, unless their cases somehow explode. I realize admission shenanigans and donor power plays goes on everywhere and always has, probably always will in some form… Read more »
No way do I excuse what happened at USC. Greed and privilege run amock. Just the narrative that it was that rich private school that had the problem and us public schools are run so much better that annoys me.
Maybe because I’m protective of USC whenever possible, I just never bought into the difference between USC and the other schools caught in the Varsity Blues sting. USC may have had more parents trying to cheat their kid’s way in, but some would say that was more of a perverse badge of honor and that the publicity didn’t even hurt USC. It all depends on whether you like, or dislike the school. At least from my perspective. Lori Loughlin’s escapades to get her disinterested fake-rowing kids into USC was just too juicy not to exploit to the max in the… Read more »
USC was ripe for this with Max Nikia$ at the helm. He was all about the $$$$s. And where do LL’s kids show up? On Caruso’s yacht in the Caribbean! And both of them are still around. Makes me wonder if anything has changed. They are just doing a better job of hiding it now.
I am sure the Notre Dame news (game postponement due to positive test results ) will add some fuel to some of the people’s at Stanford point of view .
@HOF19 I don’t see at all why the ND/WAKE postponement gives those who oppose the 2020 season any fuel whatsoever. It only shows that the system in place for the shortened season is working just fine, and for that reason, many bye weeks were built in to various schedules in anticipation of this exact situation. It’s all a political football, no pun intended. Those who are against playing will jump on any opportunity to suggest games shouldn’t be happening — and vice versa. The bottom line for me is, who cares what STAN thinks? I never wanted USC to be… Read more »
I pray each day that Little Mao decides to
move on from
SC.
I think she’s at USC for at least 10 years. They all stay as long as possible, usually until their health dictates they leave, unless you are Nikias and get booted out for incompetence, but are still allowed to live in the President’s mansion in Pasadena and have your own campus office, and eternal BOTs membership. Something’s just not right with that.
Allen, you’re right — USC Presidents are usually in that position for a decade. If I’m not mistaken, Steve Sample’s tenure was much longer (18-19 years if my memory hasn’t failed me).
As for Max still being connected to USC after being kicked to the curb, that one makes no sense — in any textbook on management that I’ve ever read.
Unfortunately, the deplorable Nikias/USC situation flat out makes me think there is something fundamentally wrong with USC.
I’m sure that’s a gross overstatement of sorts, but it still boggles my mind how USC decides to handle some matters. Just weird, frankly, starting with abusive Title IX prosecutions, the arcane Marshall Business Dean dismissal, recent notorious celebrity child admission scandals, and all the inexcusable things that Nikias overlooked for many years for who knows what real reasons.
I have been thinking about this very question…. we know Nikias hired Helton to eliminate any further issues concerning the program. I believe Nikias trusted Haden to oversee the football program to let him get the program winning again. But when Haden screwed up with Sarkisian and then begged off being AD with his health issues, that was enough for Nikias to just hire a babysitter to slow the program down and Helton did just that with his hired assistant coaches and low energy management. When Nikias hired Swann, he had orders to keep Helton as is and reward him… Read more »
I think Nikias hired Helton primarily to protect his Golden Goose fundraising efforts. That was the only thing Nikias was any good at, but he was a superstar at it, hence his forever-inside attachment to the school.
I don’t think Swann ever wanted out. I heard he was totally caught-off-guard by his immediate dismissal, even though many might have thought it was a predictable move by Folt.
I was also told that Folt personally had it in for Urban Meyer and that she was a major impediment to him ever getting the Trojan job.
Hush, Allen, and let a guy dream of brighter horizons just over the next hill….
I truly wish I didn’t feel Carol Folt was gonna be at USC for at least 10 years in her new $9 mil USC-funded Santa Monica digs. And even if she only stays for 5-7 years, that doesn’t help me out a lot. ✌
So far so good Allen on the scheduling, but if the B1G wants to do 8 games in 8 weeks it is going to be tough for them if covid pops up, even worse for the Pac12 with whatever number of games they play in a short period of weeks. Whether this season gets pulled off in entirety is an unknown, and a championship could seriously be clouded.
No one knows what will happen. But that’s kind of how life is in general IMO.
But so far, I’m really enjoying both the NFL and the college games I have seen. At least people are trying to fight through this horrible Covid thing throughout the country and since USC isn’t a championship contender, I’m just hoping we get on the field and somehow notch a couple of cool victories on the way to the hopefully normal 2021 season.
Great outlook Allen, perhaps I will try to adopt it.
I love football. Can’t help it, regardless of USC or the laggard Pac-12. There’s always hope. So I’m rooting for Ed O and USC’s next great head coach!
The ND situation as well as Baylor-Houston fiasco is just a preview of what will come with the testing-qualifying guidelines. It could turn into a postponement nightmare.
@Jamaica You sound like you’d prefer USC stay on the bench all year Jam. Am I reading you wrong here?
ND has had some players come down with Covid, but nobody’s sick from what I have read. College football players aren’t considered to be very at risk. Nearly the entire LSU team came down with it and they’re playing this weekend.
Why is BAY-HOU a “fiasco” just because a game was cancelled? Some cancellations were always predictable and literally planned for, just like in the NFL.
What I am saying is each game will be under an extreme caution basis and more things can go wrong to stop the games than play them. Houston has had 3-straight games postponed. ND reported an outbreak of the virus and that caused its last opponent to stop their practices and has the next opponent dooly alarmed and wants to postpone their ND game. This is back East where football is king. What kind of alarm will this cause out here where football doesn’t seem important? One team outbreak out here after a game and that would be enough for… Read more »
So it sounds like I read you correctly. You really don’t seem like you want USC to play this year and you have your own well-reasoned reasons which you have expressed many times over the last few months.
I get it. But I support the “let’s play” faction and am not concerned about postponements in the least. If they have to happen, so be it. I’d much rather still try to have an imperfect, flawed season than just sit on the sidelines waiting for 2021 in isolation while the rest of the college football world gives it their best shot.
I failed to mention, reportedly there are coaches out there purposely not reporting any positive tests of their players. OU HC Riley used the excuse it would give the next opponent an advantage of who would & wouldn’t be on the field playing. If I were OU’s next opponent, I would demand accountability or cancel that game.
OU’s gonna destroy KSU on Saturday if they show up in Norman. They’d probably be better off canceling the game as they have no shot whatsoever, anyway.
I don’t have any problem with OU or Riley.
Hmmmmmm?
Should have known. Last year KSU beat the Sooners, 48-41, one of only two losses the Sooners suffered all year. The other — to LSU. What can I say except I’m officially busted — but I’ve never been so happy to see a nothing team coming off a bad loss beat the nation’s #3 team in Norman, Okla!!! This will go down in history as one of the greatest early-season flopperooos by a big-time school ever. I was rooting hugely for the Wildcats all the game, especially in the 4th Q. Also great because this slightly helps the Pac-12 IMO,… Read more »
Monday September 21 2020, The Times (of London): Sweden beating coronavirus with herd immunity, expert claims (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sweden-beating-coronavirus-with-herd-immunity-expert-claims-pmmww8b7k)
Thinking independently and not following the crowd can reap benefits.
9/21/20
“In Britain there are 69 cases per 100,000 people compared to just 28 for every 100,000 in Sweden which did not implement stringent lockdown measures this spring.
“The infection rate in France is almost seven times higher than in Sweden and the virus is ten times more prevalent in Spain, both countries that implemented strict lockdowns.”
I like a lot of the comments on here today. But the conference will have a HUGE NUT TO CRACK ……….How do you have a “equal season ” where 10 teams play 6-8 games and 2 teams (UCLA and Stanford ) play only 4-6 games …….. One answer (but this ain’t too nice ) tell UCLA and Stanford “See you next year ” .
If I am the presidents of these Pac-12 Universities and 90 percent of the Universities say they are ready then I gotta say ……GO !!!!!……. Can’t let 2 Universities hold up the whole works .
Maybe the Academics at those 2 aren’t all they claim to be. Being able to handle a complex situation should be a sign of intelligence and education!😉
The phrase “Being educated beyond their intelligence” come to mind. Academics are not always the smartest of people, just academics.
the goal should simply be to play as much football as possible within the normal season. this will benefit the players and also, bring in as much revenue as possible to fund the other sports, without going into massive debt. if the teams that play less games dont qualify to win the Pac-12 title, then that is the sacrifice they make. it is simply about getting the most opportunity for the most athletes. if programs have not continued to have their athletes stay in shape, then those programs are doing a great disservice to the athletes, and there is a… Read more »
I am ok with the “if the teams that play less games dont qualify to win the Pac-12 title, then that is the sacrifice they make.” idea.
I was happy to hear the USC Players stepped up and wrote a letter to Newsollini. Regardless of what actually happens, and as an SC two-time Alum, I’m proud of our players taking a leadership role.
rlee, My take is it is a tragedy that the players have to do this. At ND, the school leadership actually led. My second take is that the Pac has only one elite program – SC. Oregon is held up by ONE person – Phil Knight. Remove Phil and Oregon becomes Washington State.
Yes that is it RJJ. Class of 1972 here. Phil Knight put Oregon Quacks on the map and has them there for the time being. But the University of Southern California has been the flagship for generations. We have to make sure that it stays that way. The Folt lady and sidekick Caruso need to be shown that the deep pockets of friends and alums can close fast if they continue in this lefty policy. Schedule the games and have the team ready to play on October 31, 2020. Fight On!
For some reason, I think ORE is here to stay. They’ve been good for quite awhile now and have a totally rabid fan base as well as a smaller, but fantastic stadium.
I also figure Phil Knight will provide financially for the Ducks for generations to come. He’s a good guy and a totally involved nut for Ducks football. At least he used to be.
He used to subscribe to SuperPrep mag and we spoke a few times. I really liked him. I don’t see ORE Duck football ever wanting for cash in the future. JMHO.
Allen, I think you hugely underestimate the power of a person like Phil. He single handedily established Oregon as a football power. My guess is Phil has put a billion into the program along with his managerial talent. Phil is as important as his money. Once he is gone, Oregon will decline. It is a bit like imagining Tesla without Elon Musk. I am not a Musk fan but he is a once in a generation (if not decade) talent. Without Musk, Tesla simply does not exist. Once of the reason I have refused to invest in Tesla is that… Read more »
ORE football is here to stay. They’re not going back to the old days (who would?) and Phil Knight has nothing to do with what they run or how they approach the game. He’s simply Mr. Moneybags/Facilities and his estate will be giving to the Ducks long after he is dead.
I don’t think comparing ORE football (QB Norm Van Brocklin played there ’45-49; John McKay got his start there; in existence since 1894) to Tesla is even remotely valid, and I’ll leave it at that.
Allen, I agree that Phil Knight is Mr. Moneybags/Facilities and also uniforms. ORE has produced great players in it’s football history, long before Choc Chip ever coached there. Norm Van Brocklin, who still holds the NFL single game passing yardage record of 554 yards, set all the way back in 1951, and Dan Fouts, one of my favorite Chargers and great color announcer in my opinion for both college and NFL football. If anyone on the blog ever wants to get a real chuckle, Google Norm Van Brocklin and his quotes as a coach for, back in the day, the… Read more »
Sometimes I wonder what meds the PAC 12 officials are taking. Start play with ready teams. At one time the UC teams were a scratch anyway. USC is a big enough payday for nonconference team, so it shouldn’t be hard to pick up a game by the Halloween night start.
A story of alot of incompetence. Basically, the Pac-12 thought that they could get away with not playing until the Big 10 moved forward. But anyone with a brain could see that was coming and the Pac-12 could have/should have been making preparations. These administrators seem to have ZERO ability to make plans or anticipate anything that will happen in the near future. They should create a schedule where teams play when they are ready. So if USC can be ready in 6 weeks, that is when they play and if another team can only be ready in 8 weeks,… Read more »
What kind of coach would not be continuing to push his players as much as conditions would allow? What is the worst that would happen? No games, but they continued to develop strength and conditioning, continued to develop skills, stayed occupied and out of trouble. And the best case? You’re ready to go play games asap. You have to really question the value of those ADs and Coaches that can’t be ready in 5-6 weeks.
STAN seems to have really taken a sudden downhill turn under David Shaw. Cardinal fans are very concerned. UCLA’s been a trainwreck for a long time now and so-called savior Choc Chip Kelly hasn’t helped one iota. In fact, he’s made things worse in Bruinville. I get the feeling that neither UCLA nor STAN even wants to play in 2020. I say leave them behind. ✌
I think that if the other teams in the Pac-12 vote to start playing in 6 weeks and then allow Stanford and UCLA to just play a shorter season when they are ready, it will further demonstrate that UCLA and Stanford are not serious about football. And that will be a good thing. It will tell programs that if they want to wallow in mediocrity, they will not be bailed out by the programs that care about football. Kind of like allowing a child to fail at something rather than bailing them out, to teach them an important lesson of… Read more »
Very well said gametv. UCLA and STAN should be left behind. It will be interesting to see the reaction of their fan base should that turn into reality.
gametv, As is normal, we see eye to eye. IF SC had any leadership at the top (and we know that it does not), it would announce to the Pac that it was playing starting 10/31 and then start scheduling accordingly. If any other teams want to play, then SC will be willing to schedule them accordingly. My guess is Utah, the two AZs, and CO would follow SC. I think UCLA could be ready to play SC in late Nov. I would give the rest of the Pac a week to respond and then move forward.
That would be something to say in a closed door meeting first, after getting the other schools on board, then announce it publicly after that.
The Big 10 conference has pie in their face as a result of having to reverse their initial decision of postponing their football season due to the strong negative responses of their public. The Big East, SEC & Big 12 conferences didn’t dare try this. They knew better. But the PAC-12 has had so little response to cancelling their season. And that tells the story about how important CFB is out in the West. Sooner or later, this attitude wears on the facets of CFB from the unequal administrative support supplied, less top athletes staying home to play in the… Read more »
Jamaica, totally agree. SC has a chance to be a counter-cultural beacon on the West Coast, keeping it traditional legacy and heritage of excellent built on the ideal of the American Revolution and as expressed by its football team. I really hope that the huge negative reaction Folt has gotten will change the administration course of action. The PAC media rights are expiring in 2022. SC needs to tell the PAC that it is leaving and good luck negotiating those media rights without us. SC then needs to go and commence negotiating its own media rights as an independent. This… Read more »
If ucla doesn’t want to play then they should be left behind.
@UtahTrojan Definitely. The lazy little gutties shouldn’t be allowed to remotely hold up other Pac-12 programs which are ready to play much quicker than Chocolate Chip Kelly’s laggard group.
Neither ucla or Stanford should get an equal revenue payout either if they do not play as many games.
Only in the Pac-12 would it be possible for teams that play 3/4, or even 1/2 a season to be paid as much as teams that played the entire season. I actually wouldn’t put that past Larry Scott and the conference presidents.
Sad but true Allen.
Re: Larry Scott paying the PAC-12 all the same regardless of when individual teams start playing; Jesus Christ had a parable about that (see the vineyard owner and the day laborers hired at different times of the day; the generous landlord gave every worker the same wage).
BUT, I assure you that Larry Scott and the school presidents of the conference are not Jesus Christ! Not even close…
Larry Scott evidently owns the goose that lays the golden eggs. The goose being the PAC-12 presidents and the golden eggs being his salary. So yeah, Larry does what he has to do to make “everyone” happy in the conference. What were those words said by past ‘Supreme Court justice Joseph Story? “And the profligate, they are rewarded because they flatter the people only to betray them”. Seems a certain political party has been doing that for decades now)
None of those laborers refused to work in the morning, they were just asked to work late in the day. UCLA and Stanford are refusing the invitation. That is a ticket to the football lake of fire!👿
A silver lining in this mess – it is now obvious that elite football is not going to be played on the West Coast except by SC, the two AZs, Utah, Oregon, and perhaps CO. If I were the AZ school or Utah (which actually wants to play football), I would be looking to join the Big 12 ASAP. We all know SC present leadership would not even consider leaving (although it needs to leave ASAP if it wishes to maintain its elite football heritage). I agree with Jamaica – this is HUGE eye opener to elite recruits. Might as… Read more »