A waiting game
Next few months will dictate ACC’s approach to 2020
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
ACC commissioner John Swofford believes his league will play football this fall, but coronavirus developments during the next few months will dictate how much the league has to change the way it normally operates.
In anticipation of those challenges, the ACC has prepared for several scenarios ranging from a normal football season to a truncated season to playing no sports in the fall.
“We’re going into this year with the anticipation of playing at this point,” Swofford said during a videoconference with reporters Thursday. “Most of our institutions are indicating that they intend to open in various fashions as we go into the fall, but there is a lot that can happen between now and then.”
The ACC typically wraps up its spring meetings in early May. However, with much of country under stay-at-home orders and travel a major challenge, the ACC shifted its meetings with coaches, athletics directors, presidents, chancellors, and league officials online.
Swofford said, as expected, much of the discussions centered around managing COVID-19’s impact on the conference.
“I told our group today that the only constant in life changes,” Swofford said. “We’re certainly seeing that right now. Life is often about Plan B. We’re going to have to be ready for a Plan C and a Plan D.”
Part of that preparation includes a new COVID-19 medical task force created by the ACC with members from all 15 schools. The group was set up to give league presidents and chancellors the latest health information, including when it would be reasonable to resume play.
“I think testing is going to be critical for us to get back to play,” Swofford said of the steps needed before the season can begin.
He said professional leagues such as the NBA or NFL could supply a template for the return of sports. It’s one of the reasons the five commissioners of the Power 5 conferences spent considerable time speaking with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell recently.
“We may benefit from some of the things done by the NFL as it gets back into camp and plays under whatever circumstances they may play in,” Swofford said. “There are things that can be learned there.”
Swofford said he hopes there will be a baseline in place for testing among the 15 ACC schools.
“A lot of this will come from the medical community that we just put together because I think there would be a great deal of comfort if you know the people you are competing against are following the same or very similar protocol in terms of maintaining the health and safety issues,” he said.
“That would goal.”
When asked whether playing football is a possibility without students on campus for in-person classes, Swofford said it is too soon to address the issue.
“If the students are back and in session and … if campuses are back and generally operating and teaching in whatever way, I think that certainly improves the likelihood that games are being played — whether it’s with fans or without fans,” he said. “I think that’s a real good start if our institutions are coming back into session, as most of them seem to be indicating at this point they intend to do.”
But when pressed, Swofford said it’s a situation that could vary from institution to institution.
“That seems foreign to me, personally, because we’re part of an educational setting with intercollegiate athletics,” he said. “It’s another unanswered question right now.”
Swofford said he’s not sure whether the 15 ACC members would be able to start the football season on time or whether a majority would be able to play if some schools choose not to participate.
“There’s a lot of decision-makers in this beyond us in athletics,” he said, noting various government officials among the 10 states that house the ACC. “We’ll have to wait and see.”
But when asked if the ACC would move forward with playing sports in the fall with only partial membership
be
the able to compete, Swofford said it’s a possibility.
“I think probably so, but I don’t know what the threshold is for that,” he said. “We haven’t reached a point of having that discussion, but I’m sure we will in due time. … I don’t think some schools not being able to compete necessarily keeps most of the schools who could compete from competing. But again, it’s premature to answer that question.”
With so much still up in the air, the ACC did have some good economic news.
Despite the cancellation of its basketball tournaments and most of its spring sporting events, the ACC will be distributing about 98% of its projected revenue for the current fiscal year to its member schools.
“Given the circumstances, we feel pretty good about that,” said Swofford, who credited the league’s ability to stay under budget for most of the past three decades. The conference also saved money by not hosting championship events and cutting staff travel while also receiving additional revenue from the new ACC Network.
The ACC will move forward with a 2020-21 budget that includes all potential scenarios for fall sports, not competing until the spring.
“We’re in decent shape — sound shape,” Swofford said of the league’s finances.