Nebraska Football 2020

[omaha79]

It's going to be really interesting to see if those who are so risk averse right now that they don't want to even leave their houses are suddenly just peachy keen to sit shoulder to shoulder in a stadium of 90k and flip out if they don't get that opportunity this year. Then, we'll find out just how scared people really were. If it gets in the way of their football, I see many changing from wanting everything closed and social distancing to "open everything right now! and where are my tickets?"

Hard to imagine the situation is going to change enough in 90 days to make a typical gameday at Memorial Stadium possible this year.

Agreed..

Can’t have it both ways. I’d suspect they’ll be some level of double standard hypocrisy here. We’ll see..

For the record, I think it’s 50/50 at best we have a college football season this year. If we do, it’ll likely be a modified schedule...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

My employer hasn't allowed people back in the building since March. They have told us we'll be given 30 days notice before we are asked to come back. So, any return to work is likely at earliest July 1st. At that time, they've told us to prepare for staggering peoples return dates, rolling schedules where you work from home some days and some days at the office, mandatory masks, and temperature tests. All of this in an office building where one can reasonably stay 6 feet from people outside of the time you are in the elevators.

With those kinds of precautions in mind, I just can't see football being feasible. How does that water cooler talk go? "hey, do you have your mask on? don't get too close to me. oh, and me and the kids are going to the game on SAturday where we'll crowd in shoulder to shoulder with 90k people each getting 18 inches of wood bench...see you on monday, don't forget your mask when you come back to work!"

I can't see the requirements we may be asked to deal with at offices, restaurants, and bars, being feasible at a college or NFL football stadium. It would take 6 hours to get everyone through the door with social distancing and you'd have to keep half the stadium empty. And, it's hard to argue the precautions we'd be asked to deal with in the rest of our lives are necessary if you're going to allow something like this.

I think this season is dead in the water unless it's played to no fans.

[Omaha Cowboy]

It's going to be really interesting to see if those who are so risk averse right now that they don't want to even leave their houses are suddenly just peachy keen to sit shoulder to shoulder in a stadium of 90k and flip out if they don't get that opportunity this year. Then, we'll find out just how scared people really were. If it gets in the way of their football, I see many changing from wanting everything closed and social distancing to "open everything right now! and where are my tickets?"

Hard to imagine the situation is going to change enough in 90 days to make a typical gameday at Memorial Stadium possible this year.

Agreed..

Can’t have it both ways. I’d suspect they’ll be some level of double standard hypocrisy here. We’ll see..

For the record, I think it’s 50/50 at best we have a college football season this year. If we do, it’ll likely be a modified schedule...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

My employer hasn't allowed people back in the building since March. They have told us we'll be given 30 days notice before we are asked to come back. So, any return to work is likely at earliest July 1st. At that time, they've told us to prepare for staggering peoples return dates, rolling schedules where you work from home some days and some days at the office, mandatory masks, and temperature tests. All of this in an office building where one can reasonably stay 6 feet from people outside of the time you are in the elevators.

With those kinds of precautions in mind, I just can't see football being feasible. How does that water cooler talk go? "hey, do you have your mask on? don't get too close to me. oh, and me and the kids are going to the game on SAturday where we'll crowd in shoulder to shoulder with 90k people each getting 18 inches of wood bench...see you on monday, don't forget your mask when you come back to work!"

I can't see the requirements we may be asked to deal with at offices, restaurants, and bars, being feasible at a college or NFL football stadium. It would take 6 hours to get everyone through the door with social distancing and you'd have to keep half the stadium empty. And, it's hard to argue the precautions we'd be asked to deal with in the rest of our lives are necessary if you're going to allow something like this.

I think this season is dead in the water unless it's played to no fans.

We had a webex meeting with our company CEO today. 100% of our 70 or so office workers have been working from home since mid March.. Our company is seemingly in no hurry to bring people back. They plan to do it in phases starting after June 1st for any employee who absolutely prefers to come back to the office. The rest is a loose 3-12 month guideline for employees who are willing to come back to the office only when they feel comfortable doing so. For the rest, as long as quality and service levels are met, I think they’ll be given the option to WFH indefinitely. If I do return to the brick and mortar, I don’t see myself doing so until the Fall..

Regarding crowds at pro and college games- I do think there will be restrictive seating. For example, at AT&T Stadium where the Dallas Cowboys play, that 100,000 seat stadium will likely be restricted to 50% capacity at around 50,000 seats designed to meet social distancing requirements. I do believe we will have an NFL season this year.. College football, I have serious doubts and if they do have a season, it’ll be with a modified schedule likely only playing conference opponents (or something like that, an 8 or perhaps 9 game schedule) with restrictive seating to probably 50% capacity.. We’ll see though...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

[Taco]

There is no way stadiums will do 50% capacity. Think about how tight people are jammed into stadiums - there would be no way to maintain appropriate distance with anything more than 25% capacity and that's if everyone wears masks and behaves perfectly...of which the odds are about 0%. Fans at games this year in any meaningful amount is a bad idea, though I expect some league will be dumb enough to try it out.

[Omaha Cowboy]

Well, not all stadiums are created equal. Since I have serious doubt we’ll even have a college football season, I’ll concede the restrictive crowd idea for the Huskers/college football..

But for the NFL, I doubt they’ll have games with zero crowds. Look for row sections to be roped off and much like restaurant seating, fan parties of no more than say, 6 will be allowed to sit together. They’ll get creative due to the owners and league’s lust for the almighty $$ and like omaha79 has intimated, there are raucous fans off their rockers enough and willing to attend. I’m not debating if it’s right or wrong (hint, I won’t be attending an NFL game this year. And I usually go to one or 2 a season).. But, I believe we’ll see this type of restrictive seating because I do believe the NFL will be a full season go..and they won’t play games in empty stadiums..

For the Huskers and college football, not so much..

But like I’ve stated, we’ll see...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

[omaha79]

Well, not all stadiums are created equal. Since I have serious doubt we’ll even have a college football season, I’ll concede the restrictive crowd idea for the Huskers/college football..

But for the NFL, I doubt they’ll have games with zero crowds. Look for row sections to be roped off and much like restaurant seating, fan parties of no more than say, 6 will be allowed to sit together. They’ll get creative due to the owners and league’s lust for the almighty $$ and like omaha79 has intimated, there are raucous fans off their rockers enough and willing to attend. I’m not debating if it’s right or wrong (hint, I won’t be attending an NFL game this year. And I usually go to one or 2 a season).. But, I believe we’ll see this type of restrictive seating because I do believe the NFL will be a full season go..and they won’t play games in empty stadiums..

For the Huskers and college football, not so much..

But like I’ve stated, we’ll see...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

The other question will be if they decide to to allow even 50% of fans into the stands, how do you decide who gets in and who doesn't? The easy, but not thought out answer likely becomes "based on how much money they are spending" but how do you tell someone at Memorial Stadium who pays $10k a seat in donation that they don't get in, but the person next to them does? Or, how do you tell them that they get in, but they have to move to the end zone. Even if their price temporarily goes down, many of those people probably balk because they feel entitled to access based on their high donations.

Maybe enough people are scared enough that they voluntarily suspend their tickets for 2020 which opens the seating for those rabid fans. And, setting an artifical capacity at, let's say, 40k instead of 90k would allow Nebraska to keep their already artificially inflated sellout streak intact.

But, you also open other questions like, are you going to allow any tailgating? Even if people claim to be social distancing? Are you going to have to waste police resources sending them around and ticketing people who bring grills out or have a small tailgate at their parking spot? The whole thing sounds like a logistical nightmare.

[Greg S]

Well, not all stadiums are created equal. Since I have serious doubt we’ll even have a college football season, I’ll concede the restrictive crowd idea for the Huskers/college football..

But for the NFL, I doubt they’ll have games with zero crowds. Look for row sections to be roped off and much like restaurant seating, fan parties of no more than say, 6 will be allowed to sit together. They’ll get creative due to the owners and league’s lust for the almighty $$ and like omaha79 has intimated, there are raucous fans off their rockers enough and willing to attend. I’m not debating if it’s right or wrong (hint, I won’t be attending an NFL game this year. And I usually go to one or 2 a season).. But, I believe we’ll see this type of restrictive seating because I do believe the NFL will be a full season go..and they won’t play games in empty stadiums..

For the Huskers and college football, not so much..

But like I’ve stated, we’ll see...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

The other question will be if they decide to to allow even 50% of fans into the stands, how do you decide who gets in and who doesn't? The easy, but not thought out answer likely becomes "based on how much money they are spending" but how do you tell someone at Memorial Stadium who pays $10k a seat in donation that they don't get in, but the person next to them does? Or, how do you tell them that they get in, but they have to move to the end zone. Even if their price temporarily goes down, many of those people probably balk because they feel entitled to access based on their high donations.

Maybe enough people are scared enough that they voluntarily suspend their tickets for 2020 which opens the seating for those rabid fans. And, setting an artifical capacity at, let's say, 40k instead of 90k would allow Nebraska to keep their already artificially inflated sellout streak intact.

But, you also open other questions like, are you going to allow any tailgating? Even if people claim to be social distancing? Are you going to have to waste police resources sending them around and ticketing people who bring grills out or have a small tailgate at their parking spot? The whole thing sounds like a logistical nightmare.

I am sure who gets in and how many is scaring a lot of local AD's. I think it gets worse for basketball and hockey schools like CU and UNO. You can tell schools are preparing for wave 2 to come like the flu. I see where Notre Dame is scheduling their school year so it ends at Thanksgiving. That's an ominous sign for winter sports.

Greg

[omaha79]

very true. I think the writing is on the wall that if there is fall sports, it's going to be in front of limited or no fans with shortened seasons. Then, they are preparing for a 2nd wave in winter that cancels much if not all of those seasons.

[Omaha Cowboy]

Well, not all stadiums are created equal. Since I have serious doubt we’ll even have a college football season, I’ll concede the restrictive crowd idea for the Huskers/college football..

But for the NFL, I doubt they’ll have games with zero crowds. Look for row sections to be roped off and much like restaurant seating, fan parties of no more than say, 6 will be allowed to sit together. They’ll get creative due to the owners and league’s lust for the almighty $$ and like omaha79 has intimated, there are raucous fans off their rockers enough and willing to attend. I’m not debating if it’s right or wrong (hint, I won’t be attending an NFL game this year. And I usually go to one or 2 a season).. But, I believe we’ll see this type of restrictive seating because I do believe the NFL will be a full season go..and they won’t play games in empty stadiums..

For the Huskers and college football, not so much..

But like I’ve stated, we’ll see...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

The other question will be if they decide to to allow even 50% of fans into the stands, how do you decide who gets in and who doesn't? The easy, but not thought out answer likely becomes "based on how much money they are spending" but how do you tell someone at Memorial Stadium who pays $10k a seat in donation that they don't get in, but the person next to them does? Or, how do you tell them that they get in, but they have to move to the end zone. Even if their price temporarily goes down, many of those people probably balk because they feel entitled to access based on their high donations.

Maybe enough people are scared enough that they voluntarily suspend their tickets for 2020 which opens the seating for those rabid fans. And, setting an artifical capacity at, let's say, 40k instead of 90k would allow Nebraska to keep their already artificially inflated sellout streak intact.

But, you also open other questions like, are you going to allow any tailgating? Even if people claim to be social distancing? Are you going to have to waste police resources sending them around and ticketing people who bring grills out or have a small tailgate at their parking spot? The whole thing sounds like a logistical nightmare.

I am sure who gets in and how many is scaring a lot of local AD's. I think it gets worse for basketball and hockey schools like CU and UNO. You can tell schools are preparing for wave 2 to come like the flu. I see where Notre Dame is scheduling their school year so it ends at Thanksgiving. That's an ominous sign for winter sports.

Greg

Yeah good points guys. Navigating around a potential 2nd wave is going to be a tricky proposition for sure...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

[bigredmed1]

The huskers and the other schools that actually turn a profit on football (all 17 of them) likely make enough money on TV that they could run without fans in the stands, but that this would either end NU's sell out streak or put an asterix beside it.

Agreed that the smaller sports in the fall and winter are in much more trouble. I can't see the soccer schools like CU making enough money off the season to support traveling all across the country for matches. Even the ones that make money don't make enough to cover that.

[nebugeater]

I am guessing that if there is a limited fan base ( as opposed to none) in the stands that it will be divided into a partial season for season ticket holders. Say It is 50 % then the season ticket holders get 1/2 the games. The game assignments may be based on doner points. I just don't see part of the season ticket base being shut out entirely unless it is voluntary for the season.

[bigredmed1]

I am guessing that if there is a limited fan base ( as opposed to none) in the stands that it will be divided into a partial season for season ticket holders. Say It is 50 % then the season ticket holders get 1/2 the games. The game assignments may be based on doner points. I just don't see part of the season ticket base being shut out entirely unless it is voluntary for the season.

That would get a lot of STHs pretty close to the door. I can see someone getting cut from the list for the OSU or Michigan game and saying "I have been a STH for 10 years and the cut off is 11 years? What do I get? Oh, a bonus ticket for the Indiana State game? Or a free ticket to watch the men's club hockey team play the fighting wheezers of "Fill in the Blank"?" That is going to be a tough sled.

I know a number of STH that have either already dumped their tickets or are already close to the door. Cutting them out of the good games because they didn't have tickets as a fetus would be a deal breaker for a lot of them.

[nebugeater]

I am guessing that if there is a limited fan base ( as opposed to none) in the stands that it will be divided into a partial season for season ticket holders. Say It is 50 % then the season ticket holders get 1/2 the games. The game assignments may be based on doner points. I just don't see part of the season ticket base being shut out entirely unless it is voluntary for the season.

That would get a lot of STHs pretty close to the door. I can see someone getting cut from the list for the OSU or Michigan game and saying "I have been a STH for 10 years and the cut off is 11 years? What do I get? Oh, a bonus ticket for the Indiana State game? Or a free ticket to watch the men's club hockey team play the fighting wheezers of "Fill in the Blank"?" That is going to be a tough sled.

I know a number of STH that have either already dumped their tickets or are already close to the door. Cutting them out of the good games because they didn't have tickets as a fetus would be a deal breaker for a lot of them.

I agree to a point but it is a matter of who you tick off.
On one level it would be better and easier to just have no fans.

[GrandpaaSmucker]

The good news is the Nebraska Football program can't get any worse then it already is. If the football program got so broke they had to let go the over paid coaches and Athletic Director it might be the best thing that happened to the program in over a decade. Getting rid of all those greedy non producing money grabbers could be the ticket to Nebraska getting back on track. Probably is what we need. Covid can't kill the Nebraska football program because it was already dead in the water.

[omaha79]

The huskers and the other schools that actually turn a profit on football (all 17 of them) likely make enough money on TV that they could run without fans in the stands, but that this would either end NU's sell out streak or put an asterix beside it.

Agreed that the smaller sports in the fall and winter are in much more trouble. I can't see the soccer schools like CU making enough money off the season to support traveling all across the country for matches. Even the ones that make money don't make enough to cover that.

It is concerns like these that somewhat have me shocked that UNO is still full steam ahead on their baseball/softball complex. The budget hit some of these schools are going to take are unimaginable.

I can't imagine UNO has seen a great number of prepayments come in on their hockey season ticket holder invoices. I have soccer and basketball at this point and even I'm going to take a wait and see approach on those invoices as I've seen how difficult it's been for people to get refunds, etc from MLB, concerts, etc. There's just too much of a chance that we won't even see a hockey or soccer season this year. and, maybe even basketball at the low majors. The Big Ten can play basketball to empty arenas as they have the tv deal...but, how does something like Big East Soccer or Summit League soccer and basketball justify sending those student athletes out to compete. Those sports are already money losers, but now you'd have no fans, and no tv deals to even make it worth broadcasting those games.

So, UNO baseball/softball is a tangent here, but I just wouldn't want to be in the shoes of an athletic director trying to decide to move forward with a major building or renovation project when you have zero certainty that your sports that either make money, or are revenue neutral will even be played this year. But, at some point, you have to decide to move forward or resign to die. I'm glad we aren't seeing the latter, at least not yet, from our local universities.

It would also be very interesting to see just where UNL sits in terms of their season ticket holder payments coming in. I can't imagine they have as many of their seats paid in full at this point as they usually do. They may say different in the media to not create panic, but I doubt they aren't feeling the crunch as well with so many out of work and others not certain there will be a season they can attend.

[omaha79]

I am guessing that if there is a limited fan base ( as opposed to none) in the stands that it will be divided into a partial season for season ticket holders. Say It is 50 % then the season ticket holders get 1/2 the games. The game assignments may be based on doner points. I just don't see part of the season ticket base being shut out entirely unless it is voluntary for the season.

That would get a lot of STHs pretty close to the door. I can see someone getting cut from the list for the OSU or Michigan game and saying "I have been a STH for 10 years and the cut off is 11 years? What do I get? Oh, a bonus ticket for the Indiana State game? Or a free ticket to watch the men's club hockey team play the fighting wheezers of "Fill in the Blank"?" That is going to be a tough sled.

I know a number of STH that have either already dumped their tickets or are already close to the door. Cutting them out of the good games because they didn't have tickets as a fetus would be a deal breaker for a lot of them.

They'd have to get creative. You'd have to be up front in saying you won't get your full set of games and you may not even get your same level of seat. They could probably divvy out the season by putting them into tiers. Every season ticket holder gets a comparable seat to one of each...

Tier One Games: Minnesota, Penn St.
Tier Two Games: Illinois, Purdue, Cincinnati
Tier Three Games: Central Michigan, South Dakota St.

That would make it at least somewhat fair. I'm sure they could add in some kickers that the better seat location for each game you get may be based on priority points. The one thing UNL has going for it: This home schedule is one of the most unattractive in recent memory. The only real marquee game is Penn St. Minnesota is here every other year and still not seen as a huge name even if they are good and the game ultimately helps decide the West. Cincy is intriguing, but doesn't move the needle like some prior non-con games have.

So, it is what it is. I don't think there would be an asterisk to the sellout streak. If one is added, it should have been a long time ago given the silly measures used to prop it up in the past like mass selling of tickets to donors that don't get used. If they can sell 40k seats and sell 40k seats, that's a sell out based on the way they've defined the streak in the past. Doesn't matter if seats are empty. Heck, if they had to have a totally empty stadium, but allowed the sky box people in, one could call that a sell out then. It is what it is and the streak is mostly fake anyway.

[bigredmed1]

It is concerns like these that somewhat have me shocked that UNO is still full steam ahead on their baseball/softball complex. The budget hit some of these schools are going to take are unimaginable.

I can't imagine UNO has seen a great number of prepayments come in on their hockey season ticket holder invoices. I have soccer and basketball at this point and even I'm going to take a wait and see approach on those invoices as I've seen how difficult it's been for people to get refunds, etc from MLB, concerts, etc. There's just too much of a chance that we won't even see a hockey or soccer season this year. and, maybe even basketball at the low majors. The Big Ten can play basketball to empty arenas as they have the tv deal...but, how does something like Big East Soccer or Summit League soccer and basketball justify sending those student athletes out to compete. Those sports are already money losers, but now you'd have no fans, and no tv deals to even make it worth broadcasting those games.

So, UNO baseball/softball is a tangent here, but I just wouldn't want to be in the shoes of an athletic director trying to decide to move forward with a major building or renovation project when you have zero certainty that your sports that either make money, or are revenue neutral will even be played this year. But, at some point, you have to decide to move forward or resign to die. I'm glad we aren't seeing the latter, at least not yet, from our local universities.

It would also be very interesting to see just where UNL sits in terms of their season ticket holder payments coming in. I can't imagine they have as many of their seats paid in full at this point as they usually do. They may say different in the media to not create panic, but I doubt they aren't feeling the crunch as well with so many out of work and others not certain there will be a season they can attend.

The baseball and softball complex are built so that they can be used by other teams. Given the proposed changes for college baseball scheduling, having a stadium at UNO would be a bonus and the southern teams could set up non-conference games prior to conference playoffs to warm up in July Omaha to get ready for the CWS. Also, given the number of legion and HS teams that could use the field, it might make money.

[GrandpaaSmucker]

Nebraska athletic director Bill Moos says that on a scale of 1-10 he rates the chances of a Husker season a 9.

World Herald article- https://www.omaha.com/sports/college/hu ... 65b.html#2

I think Moos makes tons more money then me but that don't mean hes all that smart. I think they are playing with fire trying to force the college football season this soon. Now they are talking about getting the college players back to campuses starting June 1rst. I say bad move, dumb move a total fools move. Considering that the outbreak is in full swing right now I would put the odds of them getting the players back together right now without the virus breaking out among players on a team are slim to none. In the middle of the worst epidemic in our history the odds have to be ridiculously high that some team somewhere on some college campus is going to break out with the virus. Now what are the consequences going to be the first time one of these college football teams breaks out with the virus? Do they go Nascar style and just call in an ambulance and hall off the wounded and carry on? I doubt it. I bet the first time a virus breakout happens on one of these college teams the whole season will come undone. It is a pretty good bet that these idiots are going to rush into this thing too early and screw it all up and then we really are NOT going to have a college football season.

[Greg S]

I think college football has the benefit of watching the NHL, NBA, and MLB plan and comeback. They can see what does and does not work. I am curious to see if they move the schedule up to match the school year (like Notre Dame did-with school starting early and 1st semester being done by Thanksgiving).


Greg

[omaha79]

I think college football has the benefit of watching the NHL, NBA, and MLB plan and comeback. They can see what does and does not work. I am curious to see if they move the schedule up to match the school year (like Notre Dame did-with school starting early and 1st semester being done by Thanksgiving).


Greg

The only difference here is that college athletics have to balance the safety of students with the idea of keeping donors and season ticket holders happy. That's not something that MLB, NHL, and NBA have to deal with. It's pretty clear that those sports are likely to be playing without fans the entirety of their seasons this summer.

I've read that Nebraska, even with the huge Big Ten tv contract, depends on ticket sales for roughly 40% of their revenue. That's a huge number. I think about other schools as well. Is it even financially viable to have a season without butts in seats. And, in those old antiquated stadiums, how do you get people in and out safely? How do you decide who is let in vs. who is shut out? How do you balance t-shirt fans and donors coming on campus vs. the health and safety of the student body?

Lots more variables with college athletics, IMO.

[Uffda]

Iowa State outlines game plan for obtaining 2020 football tickets

The safest way to assure a seat at Iowa State football games inside Jack Trice Stadium this fall is to purchase a season ticket. The sale of single-game tickets for 2020 is unlikely.

“Because we expect to reach the 50 percent capacity limitation through season ticket sales, we do not anticipate selling single-game tickets unless the capacity limits are raised,” athletics director Jamie Pollard announced Tuesday in a message to fans on Iowa State’s website.

Pollard said “approximately” 22,000 season tickets had been renewed for the 2020 season that’s scheduled to start Sept. 5 against South Dakota. Because of strict social-distancing guidelines following the coronavirus pandemic, the 60,500-seat stadium will seat 30,000.

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story ... 259255002/

[Uffda]

Husker football could lose $27 million in game-day revenue with limited attendance


If capacity for the 2020 season fell to 20,000 or 30,000 fans, as some in the sport have suggested, Nebraska could lose as much as $27 million of game-day revenue, slicing total game day revenue to only $8 million.

https://www.omaha.com/sports/college/hu ... f0c38.html

[Original]

Maybe this curtailing of revenue wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for college athletics? Maybe the Power 5 only retaining the old high level sports and everyone else in D1 dropping to D2 or or just investing in intramural programs be a net overall win for student bodies and universities everywhere?

I played a year of college soccer at Grace U nearly 20 years ago, where there were no scholarships, I think we had 14 guys on the team, and our player's skill levels ranged from only played club soccer in high school (me) to started for a state championship team in California (including our keeper who had never played keeper before that season but neither had anyone else on the team). Our coach owned a landscaping company, I have no idea how much he made coaching soccer but it couldn't have been much, we practiced at literally random fields across Omaha (Columbus Park, between the skateboard park and tennis courts at Roberts Park), played home games at NP Dodge Park in front of at most 100 people, drove across the Midwest in two old vans, slept 5 guys to a hotel room to save on costs, etc, etc, etc. Was it great soccer? No, I am confident that we would have barely been competitive with the best high school teams in NE. But was it a blast, and was I really sad that for financial reasons I couldn't afford to be on the basketball team because I needed to work, and then after the year had to transfer away to a small state college with no athletic programs? Yes.

Then there is the weird financial shenanigans that go on with college sports with the bizarre insistence on 'amateurism' that leads to all this ridiculous under the table payments and NCAA investigations and on and on and on. What would honestly be the harm if college sports had players explicitly getting paid hourly for their work product (i.e. paid for time at practice, time studying film, time at games) or have negotiated contracts like professional players do? Spare me the integrity of the game jazz, we all know that athletics at the highest level is toxic in money and everything. What if Bill Moos has a $20m pool for player and coach salaries, and Scot Frost gets to manage what to do with that? What if Bill Rasmussen can hire Greg McDermott and get Doug thrown in on the deal and thus decrease his player costs enough to get an extra player out of the deal ( 2013-14 ) Maybe with some of the incentives publicized, and the player pool both increasing in quality and decreasing in size, we get a better outcome for everyone except the college-sports-media-complex and I guess I think it's no great loss if most of those guys have to get a 'real job'.

I mean, this ship put up sail in the early 1900s, and blew out to sea in 1952, and it's not coming back, but man if I don't want it too.

[omaha79]

Maybe this curtailing of revenue wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for college athletics? Maybe the Power 5 only retaining the old high level sports and everyone else in D1 dropping to D2 or or just investing in intramural programs be a net overall win for student bodies and universities everywhere?

As a fan, alum, and all around supporter of UNO athletics, I can't agree with this idea. I think athletics play an important role in university life. They are the front door to the school. They are a great marketing tool. And, with even smaller schools so heavily invested in athletics, killing anything that's not power 5 or not the traditional big 4 sports has huge implications. Many cities have built into arenas and stadiums with taxpayer money along with private donations as well as revitalized entire areas of their towns based around having college athletics.

Look at UNO. For Omaha,the university, and especially the AkSarBen area UNO athletics have almost become too big to fail. Both public and private money have paid for Baxter Arena, the Caniglia field renovations, and now the new UNO baseball and softball complex. You've bought it. Now, you own it. Those facilities would not be viable without UNO filling a full number of dates. Yes, you could find other community uses for the arena and probably baseball/softball/soccer complexes, but they also need a regular tenant and that is UNO. UNO loses prestige in the community and region without athletics. Much of the growth of the school that has been seen in the last 10 years would be jeopardized going forward if they no longer had athletics or weren't D1.

This just isn't a road I'd be willing to go down.

[Original]

Maybe this curtailing of revenue wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for college athletics? Maybe the Power 5 only retaining the old high level sports and everyone else in D1 dropping to D2 or or just investing in intramural programs be a net overall win for student bodies and universities everywhere?

As a fan, alum, and all around supporter of UNO athletics, I can't agree with this idea. I think athletics play an important role in university life. They are the front door to the school. They are a great marketing tool. And, with even smaller schools so heavily invested in athletics, killing anything that's not power 5 or not the traditional big 4 sports has huge implications. Many cities have built into arenas and stadiums with taxpayer money along with private donations as well as revitalized entire areas of their towns based around having college athletics.

Look at UNO. For Omaha,the university, and especially the AkSarBen area UNO athletics have almost become too big to fail. Both public and private money have paid for Baxter Arena, the Caniglia field renovations, and now the new UNO baseball and softball complex. You've bought it. Now, you own it. Those facilities would not be viable without UNO filling a full number of dates. Yes, you could find other community uses for the arena and probably baseball/softball/soccer complexes, but they also need a regular tenant and that is UNO. UNO loses prestige in the community and region without athletics. Much of the growth of the school that has been seen in the last 10 years would be jeopardized going forward if they no longer had athletics or weren't D1.

This just isn't a road I'd be willing to go down.

Don't misunderstand, I'm not saying this is an easy or straightforward thing. Yes, the UNO situation is a perfect example of why this is fraught with peril. But the UNO situation is also a perfect picture of why the expansion of college athletics has maybe not been the best thing? An academic institution losing prestige or growth, an economic development faltering without some arguably exploited kids playing games? You're seeming to making a sunk cost argument, and I guess I'm asking, should we cut our losses now before we sink even more money and college athletics truly does become too big to fail?

[omaha79]

Maybe this curtailing of revenue wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for college athletics? Maybe the Power 5 only retaining the old high level sports and everyone else in D1 dropping to D2 or or just investing in intramural programs be a net overall win for student bodies and universities everywhere?

As a fan, alum, and all around supporter of UNO athletics, I can't agree with this idea. I think athletics play an important role in university life. They are the front door to the school. They are a great marketing tool. And, with even smaller schools so heavily invested in athletics, killing anything that's not power 5 or not the traditional big 4 sports has huge implications. Many cities have built into arenas and stadiums with taxpayer money along with private donations as well as revitalized entire areas of their towns based around having college athletics.

Look at UNO. For Omaha,the university, and especially the AkSarBen area UNO athletics have almost become too big to fail. Both public and private money have paid for Baxter Arena, the Caniglia field renovations, and now the new UNO baseball and softball complex. You've bought it. Now, you own it. Those facilities would not be viable without UNO filling a full number of dates. Yes, you could find other community uses for the arena and probably baseball/softball/soccer complexes, but they also need a regular tenant and that is UNO. UNO loses prestige in the community and region without athletics. Much of the growth of the school that has been seen in the last 10 years would be jeopardized going forward if they no longer had athletics or weren't D1.

This just isn't a road I'd be willing to go down.

Don't misunderstand, I'm not saying this is an easy or straightforward thing. Yes, the UNO situation is a perfect example of why this is fraught with peril. But the UNO situation is also a perfect picture of why the expansion of college athletics has maybe not been the best thing? An academic institution losing prestige or growth, an economic development faltering without some arguably exploited kids playing games? You're seeming to making a sunk cost argument, and I guess I'm asking, should we cut our losses now before we sink even more money and college athletics truly does become too big to fail?

In the case of UNO, it's already too big to fail.

[bigredmed1]

Dropping to D2 would be impractical for UNO (they were D2 and had to move up to D1 due to loss of other schools to compete with, and the impractical scholarship and staff/coaching limitations placed on D2 and D3 schools. This is why they moved to D1 across the board.

[omaha79]

Dropping to D2 would be impractical for UNO (they were D2 and had to move up to D1 due to loss of other schools to compete with, and the impractical scholarship and staff/coaching limitations placed on D2 and D3 schools. This is why they moved to D1 across the board.

Not to mention, you have an $88 million dollar arena that was specifically built to house hockey, men's/women's basketball, and volleyball along with a $22 million dollar baseball/softball complex that's under construction right now. You can tack on the million dollar renovation of Caniglia Field renovation in 2013.

In the past 7 years, UNO has invested over $110 million in facilities. That doesn't even take into account likely a few more million in transition costs from going from D-2 to D-1 in the first place with shutting down football and wrestling, adding soccer, men's tennis, and men's golf, and upgrading coaching staffs. You simply don't do that to then move back to D-2. If anyone affiliated with the university system would even suggest that, they should be fired for gross incompetence.

When you look at the totality of the investment that's been made in UNO athletics, the program is already too big to fail.

[GrandpaaSmucker]

Nebraska athletic director Bill Moos says that on a scale of 1-10 he rates the chances of a Husker season a 9.

World Herald article- https://www.omaha.com/sports/college/hu ... 65b.html#2

I think Moos makes tons more money then me but that don't mean hes all that smart. I think they are playing with fire trying to force the college football season this soon. Now they are talking about getting the college players back to campuses starting June 1rst. I say bad move, dumb move a total fools move. Considering that the outbreak is in full swing right now I would put the odds of them getting the players back together right now without the virus breaking out among players on a team are slim to none. In the middle of the worst epidemic in our history the odds have to be ridiculously high that some team somewhere on some college campus is going to break out with the virus. Now what are the consequences going to be the first time one of these college football teams breaks out with the virus? Do they go Nascar style and just call in an ambulance and hall off the wounded and carry on? I doubt it. I bet the first time a virus breakout happens on one of these college teams the whole season will come undone. It is a pretty good bet that these idiots are going to rush into this thing too early and screw it all up and then we really are NOT going to have a college football season.

2 weeks ago I stated the obvious which was that the impatient geniuses bent on trying to start College Football back up right now in the middle of the virus were fools. Yeah they are fools alright, it did not take long for the first players on a team to test positive at all.

3 Oklahoma State players just tested positive according to CBSSPORTS- https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... to-campus/

Not a player but a team staff member gets the virus over at Iowa State- https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... epartment/

[Greg S]

Nebraska athletic director Bill Moos says that on a scale of 1-10 he rates the chances of a Husker season a 9.

World Herald article- https://www.omaha.com/sports/college/hu ... 65b.html#2

I think Moos makes tons more money then me but that don't mean hes all that smart. I think they are playing with fire trying to force the college football season this soon. Now they are talking about getting the college players back to campuses starting June 1rst. I say bad move, dumb move a total fools move. Considering that the outbreak is in full swing right now I would put the odds of them getting the players back together right now without the virus breaking out among players on a team are slim to none. In the middle of the worst epidemic in our history the odds have to be ridiculously high that some team somewhere on some college campus is going to break out with the virus. Now what are the consequences going to be the first time one of these college football teams breaks out with the virus? Do they go Nascar style and just call in an ambulance and hall off the wounded and carry on? I doubt it. I bet the first time a virus breakout happens on one of these college teams the whole season will come undone. It is a pretty good bet that these idiots are going to rush into this thing too early and screw it all up and then we really are NOT going to have a college football season.

2 weeks ago I stated the obvious which was that the impatient geniuses bent on trying to start College Football back up right now in the middle of the virus were fools. Yeah they are fools alright, it did not take long for the first players on a team to test positive at all.

3 Oklahoma State players just tested positive according to CBSSPORTS- https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... to-campus/

Not a player but a team staff member gets the virus over at Iowa State- https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... epartment/

Last night on ABC News they reported a player at Oklahoma State got the virus at a protest. Not sure if he is referenced above?

[Greg S]

Here's a link from NBC on it:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ok ... 9-n1224166

[GrandpaaSmucker]

Oklahoma is not starting practices or anything until July 1rst. Sure would be nice if Nebraska had a wise coach like that. Oklahoma is going to let the foolish teams start getting together now and see how that plays out. It is a good bet that by July 1rst the virus has blown up in dozens of college football programs and Oklahoma decides not to even start July 1rst. 5 Alabama players have now tested positive with the virus.

Oklahoma coach shows a level of common sense and intelligence that appears to be in short supply at many college football programs. https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... t-the-nfl/

[Uffda]

Nebraska receiver JD Spielman enters transfer portal

[GrandpaaSmucker]

Nebraska receiver JD Spielman enters transfer portal

You can't blame him. His old man is the GM of the Vikings so you know he is getting good advice. If your goal is to make it into the NFL as a highly paid receiver then it is not going to be even close to easy if you are playing on a team that is terrible and has a quarterback that has little if any passing talent. From a purely financial stand point staying at Nebraska was going to be costly. Odds are he is going to Minnesota so we will be seeing him again up close and personal.

[omaha79]

Nebraska receiver JD Spielman enters transfer portal

You can't blame him. His old man is the GM of the Vikings so you know he is getting good advice. If your goal is to make it into the NFL as a highly paid receiver then it is not going to be even close to easy if you are playing on a team that is terrible and has a quarterback that has little if any passing talent. From a purely financial stand point staying at Nebraska was going to be costly. Odds are he is going to Minnesota so we will be seeing him again up close and personal.

Looking more and more like 2020 won't be a successful season for Nebraska (if there is a season). Going to be real interesting to see how much honeymoon is left for Frost if he starts his tenure with 3 straight losing seasons. They honestly have no other options though. What would have once been considered unthinkable, may actually cause them to double down and give Frost another year extension. Everyone involved is tied to Frost at this point. But, so far, there's been very little semblence of a direction to the program. I'm starting to think a .500 to sub .500 program is the new normal here.

[Greg S]

Nebraska receiver JD Spielman enters transfer portal

You can't blame him. His old man is the GM of the Vikings so you know he is getting good advice. If your goal is to make it into the NFL as a highly paid receiver then it is not going to be even close to easy if you are playing on a team that is terrible and has a quarterback that has little if any passing talent. From a purely financial stand point staying at Nebraska was going to be costly. Odds are he is going to Minnesota so we will be seeing him again up close and personal.

Looking more and more like 2020 won't be a successful season for Nebraska (if there is a season). Going to be real interesting to see how much honeymoon is left for Frost if he starts his tenure with 3 straight losing seasons. They honestly have no other options though. What would have once been considered unthinkable, may actually cause them to double down and give Frost another year extension. Everyone involved is tied to Frost at this point. But, so far, there's been very little semblence of a direction to the program. I'm starting to think a .500 to sub .500 program is the new normal here.

I guess it depends on what you would call a successful season?

I think the current situation has almost made it impossible to evaluate coaches. I'm not just talking college football either. Nothing has gone as planned and nothing we've experienced in sports before compares to it.

I thought this coming year might be a make or break for Mike Gabinet at UNO hockey. I'm not really sure that's the case anymore.

Greg

[bigredmed1]

Looking more and more like 2020 won't be a successful season for Nebraska (if there is a season). Going to be real interesting to see how much honeymoon is left for Frost if he starts his tenure with 3 straight losing seasons. They honestly have no other options though. What would have once been considered unthinkable, may actually cause them to double down and give Frost another year extension. Everyone involved is tied to Frost at this point. But, so far, there's been very little semblence of a direction to the program. I'm starting to think a .500 to sub .500 program is the new normal here.

Frost will get an extension and it will cost us even more money to get rid of him after his contract completes or the fans start walking away. Nebraska is going to sink back to what it was before Devaney's hot streak. A team that occasionally had good seasons, but mostly didn't. They picked off MU or KU in a good year. My parents used to go to games back in the 50s and they would laugh about the big gaps in the seats and how you could just move in the stadium to center yourself in the area of the field where the action was occurring. So if the line of scrimage was on the north end 45, you would just move north or south depending on the direction of play.

Given the number of fans I know who are STHs who are tired of the hassle of the games (not talking about the play), I could see a bunch of folks dumping the tickets if this doesn't turn around. Given his poor recruitment track record and the even worse track record of getting guys into the NFL, I can see a long stretch of no 4 star recruits that stay their whole careers. Given the cost of UNL and the rise of the quality of other teams in the region who offer scholarships to what would have been walk on level talent at NU back in the 70s and 80s, the team is not going to be able to fill in a bunch of role players and have the occasional star show up from Resume Speed, Nebraska. This means recruiting for both the star impact positions and the role positions. Not enough scholarships to do that.

The Huskers are not going to move up. Giving him extensions just follows the path that other semi-functional coaches have been treated with (see all the other football coaches and mens basketball coaches). It will cost us a ton of money to buy him out later and we will be no better off.

[Greg S]

I'm not sure there's actually been any big turnover with season tickets. I can say that last year everyone that sat around me were the same folks that have been sitting around me for years. At the last game pretty much everyone said see you next year.

I think the bigger factor right now is what the season looks like, along with fans in the stands due to covid.


Greg

[Cermak]

I think we should keep him for Minimum 10 years. If anything we should be criticized for keeping him to long. He needs to get better at winning close games that’s been his biggest problem.

[Uffda]

Frost will get an extension and it will cost us even more money to get rid of him after his contract completes or the fans start walking away.

Giving him extensions just follows the path that other semi-functional coaches have been treated with (see all the other football coaches and mens basketball coaches). It will cost us a ton of money to buy him out later and we will be no better off.

Yeah I don't understand the need for an extension at this point. He is already signed through 2026. If his record doesn't improve, he won't be going anywhere Unless someone wanted him for an asst coach at the Pro level. Nebraska seems in recent history the place to give a FB coach a big extension and then let them go a couple of years later and be stuck paying him for years.... Pelini -$128,009/month for 46 months.... heck I would have taken that monthly payout and found a nice Beach to sit on.

[bigredmed1]

If Moos gives him an extension, then he should be fired. Mismanaging the AD with these stupid extensions.