Shortened Canada West schedule awaits Huskies
Even truncated five-game season may be cancelled; much has yet to be determined
Ready, set, but possibly no ‘go' come fall.
The University of Saskatchewan Huskies — like other U Sports programs in the Canada West conference — are preparing for a shortened season with fewer games and far less travel.
Whether any of those schedules will actually be played out remains to be seen; the upcoming 2020-21 U Sports season remains a big question mark due to the global pandemic.
On Monday, the Canada West conference unveiled a revised schedule while addressing both financial and health and safety concerns. The revised formats were approved by the Canada West board of directors following more than a month's work as the conference looked to best position itself for an eventual return to play.
“It's a great first step — I think we need to be optimistic and yet realistic about what the fall might look like,” said Dave Hardy, chief athletics officer for Huskie Athletics at the University of Saskatchewan.
Hardy pointed to “a pretty important sentence” in the last part of a Canada West news release Monday — that, ultimately, a determination of what will happen will be dependent on the health authorities and member universities permitting competition, and the availability of venues.
“So, in some respects, people might wonder, we're planning to play football in October and, at the same time, we're talking about cancelling the Grey Cup in November,” added Hardy.
“We're planning a best-case scenario and we're hopeful that we, across all four provinces, beat the heck out of this virus and health authorities will change what we're thinking they're going to be and the situation might get to a stage 5 (reopen phase) in Saskatchewan come September and October and we're able to go ahead with programming.
“At the same time, in the backroom, there are other discussions going on about 'what if,' so we're not there yet.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant disruptions to Canada West member finances. Revised formats also allow for competition to occur in a condensed period of time.
In a “best-case” scenario, Canada West football teams would each play five games instead of eight. Canada West men's and women's hockey teams are looking at a 20game schedule instead of 28, with the Huskies playing more games against the Regina Cougars and Manitoba Bisons. Basketball and volleyball teams are scheduled to play 16 games each, again with a more regional flavour.
Soccer teams would play 10 games each, only in their geographical region.
Right now, these are proposed schedules that have been approved at the Canada West conference level. There is no guarantee that games will be played.
Ultimately, a determination on Canada West's 2020-21 season will be contingent on clearance from health authorities in all four western provinces, approval from participating universities and suitable venues available for Canada West competition.
“My sense is, although both Canada West and U Sports have been quiet on that right now in a public sense, but I suspect we're getting close to mid-june (for an update),” offered Hardy.
“We'll wait as long as we can, as long as possible, to make a decision about programming in the first term. Ultimately, we determine that it's just not feasible to offer programming in term one, and then we may end up suspending football and our fall sports and what programming might look like in term two.
“That's the next step.”
Hardy said he can't see Huskies football, for example, being played in front of an empty stadium, as the financial model does not support it like maybe the NCAA'S could.
“From a practical perspective, we're there without publicly stating that, especially in Saskatchewan where we've led the Canada West for attendance in a great many sports,” noted Hardy.
“We really rely on that revenue for funding. We don't have big TV or radio contracts. In order to be able to run the deal, we need to have fans in the stands. That's our value to the university and that's the value of athletics at the university, where we're fully engaged with the student body.”
Hardy said some level of programming will exist, even if it isn't competitive. That could mean development at the practice level.
The new formats will be in place for a one-year period and revisited prior to the 2021-22 season.
We’ll wait as long as we can, as long as possible, to make a decision about programming in the first term.