Amid 'too much uncertainty,' ASU’s leadership stands behind Pac-12 decision
The face of Ray Anderson remained grim. Even over Zoom, it was clear the mind of Arizona State’s Vice president for University Athletics was spinning. He was thrust hypotheticals that had no answers and asked to project an uncertain future.
There is sadness for Anderson, for ASU head football coach Herm Edwards, for every college coach and administrator, for all the seniors unsure if they’ve played their final game, for all the parents longing to watch their kid play again, for every recruit wondering what this means for the recruiting calendar, for every fan who lives for Saturday afternoon in the fall. And for a good reason.
Tuesday probably wasn’t the darkest day in college football’s hazy past, but it may have been the most gut-wrenching. And, before we go any further, there are two things that need to be made crystal clear.
First, the what. On Tuesday, the Pac-12 postponed all sporting competitions until, at the earliest, the end of the calendar year, a decision made hours after the Big 10 conference did the same. All affected players will keep their scholarships, and the Pac-12 has said it is recommending the NCAA allow athletes to gain another year of eligibility.
“It was more, let’s try to push pause, think of trying to have a chance to compete after January -- give a few more months that hopefully bring some clear skies with this thing -- and then move forward,” Anderson said. “There’s just too much uncertainty right now.”
Secondly, the why, which is deceptively simple. Schools didn’t want players to contract COVID-19. By playing, running full-contact practices and traveling, that would have been more likely.
You can argue low death rates among young kids, how many players would have signed waivers to play, how they could have put in enough protocols to immediately slow the spread of the virus when someone tested positive. You can believe that this was simply an excuse for the conference and its member schools to not address the player’s call for a union or address their concerns. You can genuinely believe that the conference could have made it work.
Some of those things may be true. But think of how much money just flew out the window. How many headaches just arose. How many jobs will be lost? This was not a decision the conference wanted to make. According to Anderson, this is one they had to make.
“We’re driven by science, not by lawyers. The science says we cannot afford to go forward right now, so we won’t,” Anderson said. “Our responsibilities are not about liability. It’s about accountability to these athletes and their families for their future.”
Anderson told the story of his father passing away at 31-years old of cardiac arrest that the family later learned was a result of a rheumatic fever he had as a child. He related that to the recent reports of myocarditis, a disease that weakens the heart and one being reported as a lingering effect of coronavirus.
“Just the thought of six or seven or eight years from now, one of our student-athletes would fall over like that,” Anderson said. And while under our care, we didn’t do everything we could to prevent him or her from being in that situation, that affected me.”
Added Aaron Krasnow, Ph.D., the Associate Vice President of ASU Health Services & ASU Counseling Services: “What we’re trying to do is create the conditions in which we’re safe as possible and living as much as possible.”
College institutions are frequently ridiculed for exploiting college athletes for money. On Tuesday, the Pac-12 and Big 10 didn’t.
For now, this is a two-conference decision, one that could soon carry to the rest of college football. Regardless of how those dominos fall, Arizona State will stand behind the conference’s call to postpone fall sports. They will deal with the ramifications -- the lost revenue, eligibility issues, and headaches associated with a possible spring season -- to ensure safety.
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Edwards didn’t get the chance to break the news to his players. Social media took care of that for him. But he was the one in front of them, speaking shortly after the news broke about handling the disappointment of a lost season but also understanding that it was a decision made in the best interest of their health.
When asked about their feelings, one young ASU player told Devils Digest, “It’s all good, everything happens for a reason.” Jay Daniels, the father of ASU sophomore quarterback Jayden Daniels, gave his son a similarly positive message.
“Like I told Jayden, just control the controllable. Nothing we can do about being in a pandemic honestly,” Jay Daniels said in a text. “I told Jayden it’s OK to be disappointed and feel down for a bit. But we must keep moving forward; this shall pass. And to get ready once they call on him.”
Jayden Daniels’ Twitter received extra attention this week when he joined in on the social media movement of college football players calling for a season with the moniker, #WeWantToPlay. Some simply wanted to see universal COVID protocols. Others were intent on gaining a player’s union. Nearly all just wanted to play.
Edwards’ message to those players Tuesday? “Have solutions when you want to voice an opinion.”
Added Anderson: “We don’t have the luxury of advocating our responsibility to protect the health and safety of these student-athletes … We can’t give up our responsibility and accountability to do the right things.”
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There needs to be an important distinction made. Tuesday’s news does not mean college football in canceled. It very well could be. But for now, it is merely postponed. The only thing known is that it won’t happen before January 1. No football. No Jayden Daniels. No basketball. No Josh Christopher. No volleyball. No soccer. Nothing until, at least, 2021.
After that, one can only guess.
But Anderson’s demeanor came off as steadfast. That, if it is safe, the Sun Devils will maneuver whatever they need to ensure that every sport may have its chance to play.
And that brings up two questions, both of which ASU seems adamant that they will give its best effort towards
If there is a spring season, could there also be a fall 2021 season, too?
“You’re talking about an NFL season within a frame of about a year. The health and safety, again, is a concern,” Edwards said. “I’ve already thought about the plan and how to do it and to maybe pull it off to where we can maybe keep our players safe with how we practice going into an early-season just coming off a season.”
Will the lost revenue force ASU to cut some Olympic sports?
“We’ve got challenges financially, but it’s up to us to figure a way to deal with those problems through additional fundraising, revenue creation,” Anderson said. “Whatever we need to do to make sure that we keep sports.”
How they may recoup the lost earning is a blurrier picture. Anderson said the conference is considering giving its schools depth financing, which would afford them advances on media rights money. He also mentioned trying to get creative with sponsors in an effort to continue deals without sports. Season ticket holders will be made aware of the school’s financial struggle, the ASU A.D. said, and will have the options of making their 2020 deposit a donation, a balance for next year, or get it all back.
Tuesday was an expected reality for the last few days. It still hit like a ton of bricks, with more collisions sure to be on the horizon. Money will be lost. So will jobs. And dreams. And opportunities. And a lot of good times. For ASU, that seems to be OK, just as long as no lives are.
“To the extent that we may, in some people’s mind, be a little more protective, a little more cautious,” Anderson said, “then you know what? I’m fine with that.”
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