Playing football without fans virtually impossible for Holgorsen
UH athletic director eyes June for ‘concrete decisions’ on season
They gathered from different parts of the city, converging in four large rectangles on a computer screen: University of Houston athletic director Chris Pezman, football coach Dana Holgorsen, men’s basketball head coach-in-waiting Kellen Sampson and moderator Kevin Eschenfelder. Something was missing.
“I wish I could see everybody,” Holgorsen said about the audience of about 300 supporters that tuned in for the Cougars’ virtual caravan Wednesday evening. “I want to see the fans.”
What exactly college football could look like come the fall in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic is unknown, but if Wednesday is any indication, playing games in empty stadiums is something Holgorsen does not want to think about.
“I can’t fathom having any kind of games without fans,” Holgorsen said. “The last-case scenario is playing without fans.”
Pezman said talks continues with the NCAA, American Athletic Conference and health officials to come up with a plan to restart college athletics that is “smart” and “done responsibly.”
A timetable to make “concrete decisions” about the start of the college football season — UH hosts Rice on Sept. 3 at TDECU Stadium — would need to be made in mid-to-late June.
“We’ve got some time,” Pezman said.
Pezman said “everything right now is on the table” in how the season could look, which would include a later start date, a truncated season, playing with a limited number of fans in the stadium — or without any at all. Many of the decisions will depend on when students can safely return to campus — UH president Renu Khator rolled out several scenarios last week — and whether testing is readily available.
“Everybody is trying to figure out what’s next,” Pezman said. “Anybody that says that they know, they don’t. There aren’t any answers yet.”
Pezman admitted that the possibility of limiting fan access to football games in the fall “becomes problematic” with only 30 percent of revenue coming from television deals and the rest a combination that relies on ticket sales, parking and concessions.
“Having fans in the stands is very significant to us financially, so we are trying to figure out how to make that happen,” Pezman said.
Pezman asked for patience from the fan base.
“I know a lot of people are anxious about what is going to happen in the next 90 and 120 days with the fall and getting back up and running,” he said. “We’re figuring it out.”
Other items from Wednesday’s 60-minute session:
• Men’s basketball head coach Kelvin Sampson underwent successful hip replacement surgery Monday, head coach-in-waiting and assistant coach Kellen Sampson said.
The surgery was scheduled for after the season but delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“[Tuesday] was a pretty tough day,” Kellen Sampson said. “He’s shown a lot of improvement from [Tuesday] to [Wednesday]. He’s moving pretty good around the house.
“Everything seems to be on schedule.”
• Pezman said that four anonymous donors have contributed $200,000 that will cover the cost for about two dozen seniors to return for another year.
The NCAA Division I Council in late March voted to grant another year of eligibility for all spring sports athletes that had seasons canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak.
“We had about four donors that stepped up to cover the costs of those seniors to come back,” Pezman said. “That was really, really meaningful during a very difficult time in our economy and our country for four people to commit $50,000 apiece. That is incredibly humbling.”
An internal assessment by the athletic department originally concluded that it would cost about $800,000 to bring back 50 seniors in baseball, softball, track and field, golf and tennis. That total was reduced by transfers and those who want to begin post-athletic careers.
• With coaching staffs unable to hit the road recruiting, Holgorsen said the savings will be about $200,000 for the school.
“Appreciate you, Dana,” Pezman interrupted. “Thank you!”
“A little bit of positive news from the financial front,” Holgorsen added.
As the Cougars virtual recruit prospects for 2021 — there are three confirmed in the class — Holgorsen has four spots to fill via the transfer market for the upcoming season. He’s hopeful he can get a few players on campus sometime in June.
“I’m a little bit worried about 2020 right now,” Holgorsen said. “We’ve still got four spots we can fill. It’s made it a little more challenging because those four are going to be transfers.”
• Holgorsen said a positive from the two-month shutdown is the ability for about 12 to 15 players to recover from injuries and offseason procedures. The Cougars will also welcome several transfers who had to sit out last season and those from the incoming signing class.
“We’re going to try and get better in every area,” Holgorsen said. “It does start with [quarterback] Clayton Tune. If the eight practices in spring were any indication of what is in front of him, I think we’re going to be happy.”