Issues With The College Basketball Bubble

**xubrew** · 08-18-2020, 09:33 AM

I'll start with this. I'm not going to say it's impossible to have some sort of college basketball bubble similar to what we've seen with the pro sports. Having said that, people who think "Geez, it's working for the NBA, so it will obviously work for college too!" are missing A LOT of details on just how different college sports are from pro sports.

-The first problem is the whole "College" part of it. On every div1 university campus that I am familiar with, there is at least a fraction of the faculty that likes to push back toward athletics. Oftentimes they're tuned out, but not always, and they probably wouldn't be tuned out over something like this. If a university is going to put all the money and resources toward moving basketball players into a bubble while at the same time making cuts across the rest of the campus, then much of the rest of the campus will not take that lightly. If universities go remote like they did in the spring, then any group that's told to go home is going to push back against athletics getting to continue to operate. If universities continue to have in person instruction, then a substantial number of faculty will insist that students/players not be allowed to leave campus for two months.

-The next problem is that it's not just the players, but everyone who has anything to do with the team. The trainers, the SIDs (probably), the student managers (who are students), the GAs (who are grad students), the administrators, the coaches and assistant coaches (many of whom do not make a lot of money), whoever it is that's preparing the meals, and some others that I'm probably not thinking of, would ALL have to be in the bubble as well. With the NBA and MLS, this is difficult, but doable. With college sports, I don't know that it is. I don't know that a university could say to a staff member, or trainer, or whoever that "You've now got to go move into a bubble for two months." I sure as hell don't think that would work for GAs and student managers.

-Referees. They don't work for the NCAA or for a specific conference. They are independent contractors who are paid on a game by game basis. I know several referees, and all but one of them work other jobs. None of them would be willing to move into a bubble for two months unless they were paid what the NBA refs make, which is six figures, and even then you'd have a hard time finding enough people who were willing to do it. Conferences would probably end up spending more on referees than what their overall operating budget costs them in a typical year.

-Testing typically costs $100 a pop. To do it three times a week not just for the players, but for everyone, would get expensive.

-Title IX might be a problem for this reason. College athletics are still considered to be an educational opportunity. If a sport like men's basketball is provided that opportunity and no other women's sports are, that's a huge issue especially in today's current campus climate. So, whatever it would cost to have the men in a bubble, get ready to at least double that cost.

(Side Note: This is my own conspiracy theory, but when it comes to the ACC, SEC, and B12 postponing all other fall sports to the spring, I don't think they really have any intention of actually playing. They just want to appease Title IX by being able to say "Oh no! It's not cancelled! It's just postponed!" if they end up playing football. They'll find a way to actually cancel it later).

So...is this even doable? And if it is, is it really worth it? I have a feeling that of the 32 conferences and 357 div1 teams, close to 250 of them will decide that it probably isn't, if not more. I know most people here watch the P5/Big East and may not even notice that much of a difference, but speaking from entirely selfish standpoint, I sure as hell would. I actually watch way more of the Under the Radar conferences than I do the major conferences, and it wouldn't really feel like basketball season without them. And even if the P5/Big East can pull it off (which I'm not sure that they even can), it will be at a MUCH higher cost than what's being predicted, and with way more complications than what are being anticipated.

I want us to beat the virus. I want college sports back, but I want them all the way back. With fans, and watch parties, and games in campus venues, and no constant lingering concerns about COVID. To do that, we first need to get this under control. Basketball in a bubble, even if it can't be done, is hardly the full package.

**bobbiemcgee** · 08-18-2020, 09:46 AM

I think the new saliva test is $10. 3 hour wait.

xuphan · 08-18-2020, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by bobbiemcgee

I think the new saliva test is $10. 3 hour wait.

How accurate is the saliva test?

Xavier · 08-18-2020, 10:02 AM

If there is a bubble- it will be conference only type thing. And even then, you'd need to set up for bubble for the women's cbb too. I want basketball to work and if I had to bet- I would bet on conference only happening (just because it pushes start even longer, the saliva test could be a game changer and maybe we see another game changer).

But if it can only happen with a bubble- it won't happen.

**xubrew** · 08-18-2020, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by Xavier

If there is a bubble- it will be conference only type thing. And even then, you'd need to set up for bubble for the women's cbb too. I want basketball to work and if I had to bet- I would bet on conference only happening (just because it pushes start even longer, the saliva test could be a game changer and maybe we see another game changer).

But if it can only happen with a bubble- it won't happen.

Agreed

**Muskie** · 08-18-2020, 01:49 PM

Originally Posted by xubrew

Agreed

Brew, I had just talked myself into being ok with a bubble and then you came up with all kinds of valid reasons it won't happen.

I had just convinced myself, Conference Bubble and then the Virus has subsided enough to do in person Conference Tourneys (NYC here I come!).

**xubrew** · 08-18-2020, 02:17 PM

Originally Posted by Muskie

Brew, I had just talked myself into being ok with a bubble and then you came up with all kinds of valid reasons it won't happen.

I had just convinced myself, Conference Bubble and then the Virus has subsided enough to do in person Conference Tourneys (NYC here I come!).

Well, I'm sorry.

This is just me guessing, but I do think we will have some form of college basketball. It may be delayed, altered, and even shortened, but I do think we could do something. I've heard several formats kicked around.

-One was to have a conference only season with four teams from each league (the tournament winner and three others) put into a 128 team field with what would basically be a play-in round, and then picking up the round of 64 at its previously scheduled venues.

-Another was conference only 18-20 games with a tournament at the end. The 32 tournament winners would go right into the Round of 64, and the next four teams from each conference would be placed in what would amount to 32 play-in groups with four teams each (no one from the same conference).

-Another was to just do a 64 team tournament with the average number of bids for the previous five years determining how many bids each league got. (Personally not a fan of that)

I don't know what they will end up doing, but I do think it will be something. I expect to see some form of college basketball this year. I think COVID will get a lot worse before it gets better, but by January or February it will hopefully have subsided enough (either due to a vaccine or due to it just running out of people to infect) that there will be a 10-12 week window for basketball and the other winter sports to have some sort of an abbreviated season and NCAA Tournament.

XU '11 · 08-18-2020, 03:42 PM

I think bubbling on one college campus from Thanksgiving until students return in mid-January is very doable. Omaha might make sense. Only have to pay for housing for coaches since athletes can live in dorms. You can use local athletic trainers. Nobody is missing class. Nobody is on campus at a time when students are prohibited from being there. From a cost perspective, I'm not sure that would cost more than the travel associated with a normal schedule.

Play 2-3 games/week for 7 weeks and that's a good chunk of the season. Then hope you can play on campus after students return, but if you have to cancel games it'll be less significant since everybody already got 15-20 games in during the bubble period.