Big 12 decision opens door for Temple

masks
With masks and better social distancing than this, college football can be played this season like it was in 1918

The great George Carlin may have inadvertently summed up college football for what is known as the Group of Five when he once said this:

“It’s a big club and you ain’t in it.”

club

The next “big announcement” for college football may already have been made and, if Temple and the rest of the AAC don’t get cold feet like the MAC and Big 10/Pac 12 seem to have, they are poised to join the club.

The SEC and ACC were waiting for the Big 12 to make the announcement and, now it seems like college football is a go for the fall, notwithstanding some of the other conferences did. The prayers of the SEC and ACC were answered a day later when the Big 12 gave the go-ahead for football.


Major League Baseball,
the NHL, and the NBA
have provided enough of
a sample that sports
can go forward without
major problems
 

Those three playing conferences probably are hoping that the AAC joins them in a “more-the-merrier” arrangement which would at least keep college football on TV on Saturdays and keep the NFL–which also is playing–swooping in and taking Saturdays like the league indicated it would last week.

How wise this decision is and was will be debated but the “system” has kept Temple and some other deserving schools out being broken up for at least a year props up a window for Temple to climb through and the Owls should probably take advantage.

Now I’m a big science guy so there is a risk to that approach.  The reward could be worth it. I could see the AAC, ACC, Big 12 and SEC partnering in a way that would restructure the bowl system at least for a year and give the G5’s best league the kind of marquee matchups they haven’t had in the past. Plus, who knows? Maybe an AAC team can sneak into the final four. The league certainly had no shot under the old system.

Major League Baseball, the NHL, and the NBA have provided enough of a sample that sports can go forward without major problems. College football was played in 1918, a year where the Spanish Flu killed millions more than this current virus. Fans attended games wearing masks. Were lives at stake then? Sure. Was playing football back then any more of a problem than, say, shopping or work? No.

The Big 10 and PAC-12 may have jumped the gun on a quick decision because let’s face it, there will be no college football in the spring. Not now with the other three conferences playing in the fall. I like the fact that the ACC, SEC and Big 12 are at least trying to move forward. If it has to be shut down in mid-season, then the powers-that-be will have to cross that bridge when they come to it. Turning back three weeks before reaching that bridge seems a bit premature.

For Temple, this might be the last chance to join a club it should have been in a long time ago. The Owls and the rest of the AAC should try to join it while they can or risk regretting it later.

Advertisement

14 thoughts on “Big 12 decision opens door for Temple

  1. This is one timeTu can be thankful that it’s in a conference composed of mostly southern schools located in places where football is king. There will be no fans though given that Eagles were told no fans. TU now has be worried about Wolf and Mayor McDrunky telling them they can’t play in Philly. Tuff to do since pro teams are playing. If they tell TU it can’t, play they should consider playing all games on the road.

  2. Mike, don’t even have to go back to 1918 for an example of life going on during a pandemic. Up to 4 million people died worldwide during the 1968-69 Hong Kong flu and I don’t think any sports were cancelled, college or pro. Plus there was also a little music festival held in NY state during that pandemic.

  3. I predict Covid will disappear November 4th. I’m glad the American is playing, and I think it’s a sound decision. We’ll may be tailgating on Nov. 5th for the SMU game whether it’s in Hershey, Chester, or Dallas.

  4. “Making things up” and “fear mongering?” Seems to me that even if there are questions and uncertainty it’s better to er on the side of caution for safety sake. Would any of you want to see your child die or have long-term health problems just because you want to watch games so badly? If they really can be like 95% safe using known protocols and monitoring, then give it a try, but be ready to change direction on a dime if things begin to screw up.

    • Jon, they struggle a little with science and math. I still like tailgating with them.

    • jonohio:There are no guarantees in life and if parents cared so much about safety of their children they wouldn’t have let them play football in the first place, a sport that has a 100 percent injury rate. Life better approach normal soon or all of society is doomed. That especially applies to kids because a recent study showed that 25% of young adults have considered suicide. Moreover, there is a big political angle to the reaction to covid. Riots were okay but nothing else is reeks of hypocrisy.

    • Jon, 95% safe in what regard? Of dying from covid or serious long term complications. Numbers already show that for people in the age range of college football players they already are. Now the staff is a different matter. If you look at the stats, those in the 15-24 demographic actually have a higher probability of dying from seasonal influenza or pneumonia.

  5. Joefa104, I guessing you’re on target with that assessment. Right now I’m leaning a little more to the making something else up side

  6. The piece in the Sunday paper I feel is positive for the program. Like it said, Penn State and Maryland have pulled the plug, but the AAC teams in those states, TU and Navy, are practicing with precautions employed.

    Concern then is if the administrations at the schools take independent action and decide no season, be it for health concerns or because the other fall sports can’t get the same options.

    • If team members avoid getting sick, the administration will not cancel the season. Too much money involved and it also would incur the wrath of the conference. Playing will be a big publicity plus for the conference, which will get more games broadcast at prime times. Hell, last week ESPN U had a UCF day where they broadcast only UCF games for hours.

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s