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Baylor Football

Baylor AD Rhoades says he senses "optimism" about a 2020 football season

May 18, 2020
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Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades isn’t among the pessimists who have all but written off the possibility of a college football season in 2020.

In fact, it’s just the opposite.

“I do think we’re going to get to a place where we’ll play football,” Rhoades said April 21 in a wide-ranging interview with SicEm365 Radio.

“I think there is some optimism. I try not to get on that roller coast ride, because, literally, it can be different every 24 hours. But collectively, all the people that are weighing in as it pertains to college athletics, what they’re hearing and the conversations they’re having with public heath officials … I do think there’s some optimism.”

Rhoades said he and his staff hold multiple virtual meetings each day to discuss potential scenarios involving the 2020 season. 

“We’re continuing to grind away and think about ‘How do we return to what is probably a new normal?’” Rhoades said. “We won’t return to exactly the way things used to be.

“I think there is some optimism. I try not to get on that roller coast ride, because, literally, it can be different every 24 hours. But collectively, all the people that are weighing in as it pertains to college athletics, what they’re hearing and the conversations they’re having with public heath officials … I do think there’s some optimism.”
- Baylor AD Mack Rhoades

“You think about all of the variables that influence stuff, like the number of tests. If you bring student athletes back, are they available? And, if so, are they taking away from others that need tests (more). There’s so much that still has to play out.”

Rhoades said he doesn’t have a particular cutoff date in mind for when teams would need to start practicing in order for there to be a season, partially because there have been discussions about pushing the season back weeks or even months.

Rhoades did say, however, that he believes a team would need six weeks of practice to prepare for its first game—and maybe three-to-four more days on top of that for players to undergo various health screenings.

“So when you think about a drop date,” Rhoades said, “I go to, 'Hey, what’s the return-to-play plan look like?’ That’s what we’re all focused on and concentrated on.

“Again, we’re not going to do anything that is not in the best interest of people’s health and safety. And that starts No. 1 with our student-athletes.”

Rhoades was also asked about the possibility of playing football in the spring. He didn’t rule out the scenario but indicated it could be a difficult in terms of logistics.

“We’ve probably had that conversation at the 30,000-foot level,” Rhoades said. “We’d like to think we could find a way to manage all of that. We know that football on campuses, because of the crowds and the number of people … it engulfs the entire athletic department. It’s all hands on deck.

You think even beyond your athletic personal … your police force and everyone. How could we do that and still have all our spring sports playing? We’re beginning to flesh that out. I go with the mindset of, ‘We’ll find a way to be able to do that.' That’s where my staff helps me. Wait a second, Mack. I know you think we can do everything. But let’s make sure we really think through this.”

No matter the scenario, Rhoades said it’s imperative to the health of college athletics that football returns as soon as it’s deemed safe. Rhoades was asked what it would mean for other sports if football wasn’t able to return anytime soon.

“Not good,” he said. “We all know that football is such a big driver in terms of revenue. When you think of the autonomous five conferences and the conference distribution that each institution gets … 85 percent-plus is tied to football. You think about on your campus, locally— the season tickets and the single-games tickets and your annual fund donation that (football is) tied to it. That helps drive a lot of revenue for the entire athletic department operational budget, which is then used to support other sports programs.

“So absolutely, it’s a cause and effect thing (as it relates to other sports). Not that our football student-athletes are more important than our volleyball or our soccer student-athletes. We love all of them the same, like they’re our own children. But we have to be intentional and focused about how we get football back, because that’s really the first step. Then we can begin to think about our other sports programs.”

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Baylor AD Rhoades says he senses "optimism" about a 2020 football season

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