While not "as important" as conference games, the non-conference ones usually really are. Some are the matchups with premier non-conference opponents, which are the most valuable to the networks who are paying the media rights fees the schools need, and will sell well, if not sell out. The rest are the pay-check games the hosts need for revenue and the visitors need to balance their budgets.
And since the games in the fall will likely be restricted attendance, and therefore reduced revenue and reduced fan experience, because there won't likely be a vaccine in time, I'd rather see the season played in the spring, after the release of vaccines (hopefully several), and with full schedules and fan attendance.
Conflict with March Madness can be managed; reserve Saturday for football, and play the NCAA tournament in Thursday and Friday, and then Sunday and Monday. The women's tournament already plays on Sunday and Monday.
As far as baseball and softball go, there has already been active discussion of starting the baseball season later and running further into the summer. This was occurring before the pandemic, and is practibally a no-brainer, especially with the elimination of short season minor league ball. On weekends that do overlap, reserve Saturday for football, and play a DH on Sunday. Finish the weekend series on Monday. Play the mid-week games mostly on Wednesday and Thursday. The would also save travel expense and missed class by reducing weekend road trips by 1 day.
It would be "Typi-Cal" for Cal Football to finally win the Pac-12 in a spring or winter/spring season, only for there to be no Rose Bowl (or another BCS Bowl) berth as a reward.
IMO they should cancel non-conference AND move to the Spring. The non-conference games can be rescheduled as a 13th game over the next 3 seasons which would give CFB much needed revenue to rebuild.
If we are eliminating non-conference games, this year is probably is a good year for Cal. I certainly don't want Notre Dame, Auburn, or Florida games to be cancelled.
"The strategy to eliminate non-conference games (either two of three or all three) is to focus on the “important” conference games and reduce the risk resulting from increased travel and exposure."
If anything, the TCU game would be cut based on what you stated here. Reduce the risk of exposure from increased travel. Especially from a state with huge surge in cases this past month.
"Replacing the non-conference games with Pac-12 games is primarily because non–Power Five teams have smaller budgets and consequently may have fewer safeguards and less protection against the virus."
I don't buy that smaller schools have fewer safeguards to mitigate exposure/transmission solely based on their AD budget. If there was one school I would trust on this list it would be a school from the same state, Cal Poly.
While it might not be a sexy game or do anything for our program in terms of prestige, it is the safest bet if we're talking about reduce travel and exposure.
I just hope that there will be a season by Spring. Kind of a long wait, but it is better than not having a season at all. My question would be whether the Fall 2021 season would be played on schedule???
While not "as important" as conference games, the non-conference ones usually really are. Some are the matchups with premier non-conference opponents, which are the most valuable to the networks who are paying the media rights fees the schools need, and will sell well, if not sell out. The rest are the pay-check games the hosts need for revenue and the visitors need to balance their budgets.
And since the games in the fall will likely be restricted attendance, and therefore reduced revenue and reduced fan experience, because there won't likely be a vaccine in time, I'd rather see the season played in the spring, after the release of vaccines (hopefully several), and with full schedules and fan attendance.
Conflict with March Madness can be managed; reserve Saturday for football, and play the NCAA tournament in Thursday and Friday, and then Sunday and Monday. The women's tournament already plays on Sunday and Monday.
As far as baseball and softball go, there has already been active discussion of starting the baseball season later and running further into the summer. This was occurring before the pandemic, and is practibally a no-brainer, especially with the elimination of short season minor league ball. On weekends that do overlap, reserve Saturday for football, and play a DH on Sunday. Finish the weekend series on Monday. Play the mid-week games mostly on Wednesday and Thursday. The would also save travel expense and missed class by reducing weekend road trips by 1 day.
It would be "Typi-Cal" for Cal Football to finally win the Pac-12 in a spring or winter/spring season, only for there to be no Rose Bowl (or another BCS Bowl) berth as a reward.
Stewart Mandel of The Athletic mentioned the Ivy League's pending vote to possibly delay until spring.
IMO they should cancel non-conference AND move to the Spring. The non-conference games can be rescheduled as a 13th game over the next 3 seasons which would give CFB much needed revenue to rebuild.
If we are eliminating non-conference games, this year is probably is a good year for Cal. I certainly don't want Notre Dame, Auburn, or Florida games to be cancelled.
"The strategy to eliminate non-conference games (either two of three or all three) is to focus on the “important” conference games and reduce the risk resulting from increased travel and exposure."
If anything, the TCU game would be cut based on what you stated here. Reduce the risk of exposure from increased travel. Especially from a state with huge surge in cases this past month.
"Replacing the non-conference games with Pac-12 games is primarily because non–Power Five teams have smaller budgets and consequently may have fewer safeguards and less protection against the virus."
I don't buy that smaller schools have fewer safeguards to mitigate exposure/transmission solely based on their AD budget. If there was one school I would trust on this list it would be a school from the same state, Cal Poly.
While it might not be a sexy game or do anything for our program in terms of prestige, it is the safest bet if we're talking about reduce travel and exposure.
I just hope that there will be a season by Spring. Kind of a long wait, but it is better than not having a season at all. My question would be whether the Fall 2021 season would be played on schedule???