In My View 4/17/2019: Detroit Pistons

Michigan State welcomes freshmen athletes in four sports on campus today. Are they in for some kind of indoctrination. It can be intimidating enough when everything is going well. But these rookie collegians have much to learn in a short period of time and it won’t be easy battling the pandemic let alone other veterans on their various teams.

Michigan State has now tested its athletes on campus twice and two more who were tested earlier this week tested positive. That’s now three athletes and they go into quarantine. Will the number grow or not and when these athletes return will it be a problem with their teammates? These are all issues that must be determined prior to any fall season being expected to take place.

If golf is struggling with the covid virus right now—and several players and caddies have now tested positive—what happens when the contact sports go back at it. Just because baseball has 60 games and the playoffs scheduled in my view it’s no lock any of them will fully complete competition through the end of this year. The virus has not left us yet and no vaccine has been produced so the obstacles to sports remain to handle.

You wonder if the NCAA won’t soon convince all major football schools to just throw their hands up and try football and the winter sports later on this school year—football in the spring, the NCAA basketball tournament late spring in to June. Even if games are played this fall the hassles will be many and the financial issues will simply grow. I make it 50-50 football gets played as scheduled this fall given the current issues. We’ll see.

None of these pro sports league is back yet and none definitively and even the NFL has question marks about the start of its season. It’s a Covid virus year and the sports landscape has not been sorted out yet and who knows if it will be any time soon.

Expectations are much different in Las Vegas for Michigan and Michigan State’s football teams for the coming seasons. Michigan State is 100 to one to win the Big Ten title, can’t ever remember less expectations. Both of them need help at quarterback replacing starters. Michigan believes it has the answer in either Dylan McCaffrey or Joe Milton. Michigan State is replacing Brian Lewerke, the starter on average teams. To have good seasons both teams in my view, must find answers at quarterback among other positions.

I’m sure Tom Izzo joins me in believing the most controversial NCAA rule on the books is the transfer rule. Athletes are supposed to sit out a season upon transfer and not immediately play—unless they can gain a waiver. And this week Marquette got such a waiver for basketball standout D. J. Carton, incoming from Ohio State. Marquette’s Joey Hauser transferred to Michigan State a year ago and had to sit out last season because he couldn’t come up with waiver approval from the NCAA to Izzo’s disgust. Like I say the rule should be simple—you transfer, you sit out a year, no exceptions, period.

No Big Ten marching bands at road games? That’s what may well happen this fall. Imagine Michigan’s band not paying at the Michigan State or Ohio State road games! But the economic issues facing college sports are more than just the athletic departments themselves. The bands at both Michigan and Michigan State may not travel for several years and they may have reduced ranks at home games this fall if games are played in the first place.

All the upcoming Michigan State athletic department budget cuts? I’m guessing the most notable area for the non revenue sports will be in scheduling with a far more regional look—and therefore more bus trips and a big cutback in airplane travel both commercial and charter. Won’t be as noticeable in the big sports, but non revenue, big cuts coming which we’ll all recognize in my view.

With college athletes on campuses, especially in the Big Ten, how much can teams really accomplish? No formal practice sessions per se, just work outs. Michigan State football needs practice sessions and coach Mel Tucker has to hope the NCAA gives each team 12 extra days of workouts next month which it is considering. Stay tuned.

Big day in the Big Ten—fall athletes can report and at Michigan State every moment is precious for new football coach Mel Tucker who has not seen his players even work out yet. MSU has a long way to go in a short period of time so beginning today these meeting days, even though they are not normal practice sessions, in my view, are crucial.