ATHENS - Georgia's football season seems very much on track, but what it will look like this fall in the stands, and perhaps even on the field, remains to be seen according to insiders.
June saw the return of a college football players to a slew of schools - most notably in the SEC where several schools reported outbreaks within their programs. Reports have defending national champs LSU with not fewer than 30 players quarantined. LSU's foe in the national title game earlier this year, Clemson, confirmed that 23 players have tested positive for the virus.
"I wish all my kids would get it right now," one SEC head coach quipped behind the scenes pointing out that he wanted that to happen not so folks would get sick inside the program or elsewhere, but so that they would get that all over with before the season starts.
It is medically unclear if humans can get COVID-19 twice.
The problem is that we can't know when an on-campus or inside-the-program breakout could occur. Students return to campus across the SEC in August. The Dawgs are slated to start full practices at or about August 9th. Even if the program, and other SEC programs, get through the summer without a breakout a breakout could occur when tens of thousands of other students return for the start of classes.
While UGA will issue two facemarks for each student and professor on campus, the school has not confirmed that those will be required during classes.
Still, breakouts or not, insiders feel that unless things singly wildly negative in the coming weeks and months, that football season will move forward as scheduled. However, there are some massive caveats involved here.
"They can't just come out and say it," said one insider, "but this is about the money the schools are going to get from TV. They know that they might have to give back a lot of the ticket sales they've had. But they have been assured that if they put a product on the field - and give TV inventory - the schools will be paid."
South Carolina president Bob Caslen told his board last week that the SEC was still moving forward as planned.
"We, the presidents of the Southeastern Conference, are planning on playing a full Southeastern Conference schedule as scheduled," he said last week. "The other conferences and non-SEC teams we play - we are subject to whatever that conference decides to do, but we have no indication that any other conference is not going to play."
College football games start as early as August 29th with Notre Dame in the spotlight that week in a game that's already been moved from Ireland to Annapolis due to the virus. If fans will be allowed to be in attendance for that game and games around the SEC seems to be another question mark.
Georgia's opener with Virginia is checking around $130 per ticket in the secondary market, but it remains to be seen just how many ticket holders will be allowed in that game, and in SEC games this fall.
The league is dealing with 14 schools and 11 governors who all have different situations in their states. In the last few weeks Texas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina and Arkansas have all see cases rise. Mississippi and Missouri have stayed steady. Kentucky is the only state in the SEC where cases have fallen lately.
Does that mean Kentucky's program can meet in larger groups while Texas A&M's can't? Would the governor in Kentucky be more apt to open Commonwealth Stadium to more fans since the rate is falling in the Bluegrass? Is Georgia less likely to see fans as Ole Miss?
Is this decision up to the 11 powerful governors of each state? How much say does the SEC have in restricting fans across the board at member institutions' stadiums? If Texas governor Greg Abbott OKs 75% capacity at Texas A&M, what happens if Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards only moves forward with a plan that permits 50% capacity?
Does the SEC step in and make it a league-wide rule that 50% capacity is all that's allowed for member schools? Or will it let each school do what local authorities allow? Most insiders we talked with found it hard to believe the schools would be allowed to have a competitive advantage on COVID-19 policy that's determined on a state-by-state basis.
Meanwhile, coaches are having the prepare for a reality that they usually only speak of in general terms, but never practically: Next man up.
This year that phrase may actually have meaning.
"Everyone is going to have to be ready," said one SEC insider. "And I mean everyone. Your playbook, and I have never seen this happen, might really have to be narrowed a lot because you could wind up with the No. 2 quarterback working with the No. 4 running back for an entire game behind an offensive line that's got your best center playing something wild like right tackle."
"Some folks might not thing this is a big deal, and that is their prerogative, but if a kid test positive they are not playing," one insider insisted. "It is pretty simple. That's why all of the procedures in place to stop and limit this thing are critical."
"I think this isn't just about the talent you've gathered over these last few years, but how well you can adapt to this moment right now with what you have," another UGA insider said. "Kirby has done a good job over the years of putting his team in a good position to win by adapting to circumstances - look no further than 2017. But this is going to be a challenge for him. He's someone, like Nick (Saban), who likes to have full control of what he can fully control. Control seems like a thing of the past."
One insider said over the weekend that things looked so bad after what had been assumed was a post-Memorial Day pop in the positive numbers, that he was "skeptical" there would fans in the stands at all.
"Maybe in the suites or something like that," he said.
Clemson and LSU had between 18% and 24% of their scholarship players dealing with coronavirus by either testing positive or being quarantined. No one has reported any numbers from UGA yet.
On the recruiting front
The Georgia staff obviously got some good news this week as they only have to fight off local club Miami for five-star defensive back James Williams. The big 6-foot-5, 220-pound defender has been a top UGA target from the beginning, and sources say a public commitment to the Bulldogs before the football season starts would not be surprising.
As for five-star linebacker Smael Mondon, sources continue to tell Dawg Post that there is no set date for a commitment just yet. Dawg Post still believes Georgia, Auburn and Tennessee are the three out in front for Mondon this second, but we feel the Bulldogs are still the team to beat. Sources say a commitment could still likely come this summer, but there's not been one planned out just yet from people close to his recruitment.
5-star Tony Grimes has made his commitment date, and he'll make that decision on June 30th. Right now, Dawg Post expects Grimes to choose North Carolina over Georgia and Texas A&M.
June saw the return of a college football players to a slew of schools - most notably in the SEC where several schools reported outbreaks within their programs. Reports have defending national champs LSU with not fewer than 30 players quarantined. LSU's foe in the national title game earlier this year, Clemson, confirmed that 23 players have tested positive for the virus.
"I wish all my kids would get it right now," one SEC head coach quipped behind the scenes pointing out that he wanted that to happen not so folks would get sick inside the program or elsewhere, but so that they would get that all over with before the season starts.
It is medically unclear if humans can get COVID-19 twice.
The problem is that we can't know when an on-campus or inside-the-program breakout could occur. Students return to campus across the SEC in August. The Dawgs are slated to start full practices at or about August 9th. Even if the program, and other SEC programs, get through the summer without a breakout a breakout could occur when tens of thousands of other students return for the start of classes.
While UGA will issue two facemarks for each student and professor on campus, the school has not confirmed that those will be required during classes.
Still, breakouts or not, insiders feel that unless things singly wildly negative in the coming weeks and months, that football season will move forward as scheduled. However, there are some massive caveats involved here.
"They can't just come out and say it," said one insider, "but this is about the money the schools are going to get from TV. They know that they might have to give back a lot of the ticket sales they've had. But they have been assured that if they put a product on the field - and give TV inventory - the schools will be paid."
South Carolina president Bob Caslen told his board last week that the SEC was still moving forward as planned.
"We, the presidents of the Southeastern Conference, are planning on playing a full Southeastern Conference schedule as scheduled," he said last week. "The other conferences and non-SEC teams we play - we are subject to whatever that conference decides to do, but we have no indication that any other conference is not going to play."
College football games start as early as August 29th with Notre Dame in the spotlight that week in a game that's already been moved from Ireland to Annapolis due to the virus. If fans will be allowed to be in attendance for that game and games around the SEC seems to be another question mark.
Georgia's opener with Virginia is checking around $130 per ticket in the secondary market, but it remains to be seen just how many ticket holders will be allowed in that game, and in SEC games this fall.
The league is dealing with 14 schools and 11 governors who all have different situations in their states. In the last few weeks Texas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina and Arkansas have all see cases rise. Mississippi and Missouri have stayed steady. Kentucky is the only state in the SEC where cases have fallen lately.
Does that mean Kentucky's program can meet in larger groups while Texas A&M's can't? Would the governor in Kentucky be more apt to open Commonwealth Stadium to more fans since the rate is falling in the Bluegrass? Is Georgia less likely to see fans as Ole Miss?
Is this decision up to the 11 powerful governors of each state? How much say does the SEC have in restricting fans across the board at member institutions' stadiums? If Texas governor Greg Abbott OKs 75% capacity at Texas A&M, what happens if Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards only moves forward with a plan that permits 50% capacity?
Does the SEC step in and make it a league-wide rule that 50% capacity is all that's allowed for member schools? Or will it let each school do what local authorities allow? Most insiders we talked with found it hard to believe the schools would be allowed to have a competitive advantage on COVID-19 policy that's determined on a state-by-state basis.
Meanwhile, coaches are having the prepare for a reality that they usually only speak of in general terms, but never practically: Next man up.
This year that phrase may actually have meaning.
"Everyone is going to have to be ready," said one SEC insider. "And I mean everyone. Your playbook, and I have never seen this happen, might really have to be narrowed a lot because you could wind up with the No. 2 quarterback working with the No. 4 running back for an entire game behind an offensive line that's got your best center playing something wild like right tackle."
"Some folks might not thing this is a big deal, and that is their prerogative, but if a kid test positive they are not playing," one insider insisted. "It is pretty simple. That's why all of the procedures in place to stop and limit this thing are critical."
"I think this isn't just about the talent you've gathered over these last few years, but how well you can adapt to this moment right now with what you have," another UGA insider said. "Kirby has done a good job over the years of putting his team in a good position to win by adapting to circumstances - look no further than 2017. But this is going to be a challenge for him. He's someone, like Nick (Saban), who likes to have full control of what he can fully control. Control seems like a thing of the past."
One insider said over the weekend that things looked so bad after what had been assumed was a post-Memorial Day pop in the positive numbers, that he was "skeptical" there would fans in the stands at all.
"Maybe in the suites or something like that," he said.
Clemson and LSU had between 18% and 24% of their scholarship players dealing with coronavirus by either testing positive or being quarantined. No one has reported any numbers from UGA yet.
On the recruiting front
The Georgia staff obviously got some good news this week as they only have to fight off local club Miami for five-star defensive back James Williams. The big 6-foot-5, 220-pound defender has been a top UGA target from the beginning, and sources say a public commitment to the Bulldogs before the football season starts would not be surprising.
As for five-star linebacker Smael Mondon, sources continue to tell Dawg Post that there is no set date for a commitment just yet. Dawg Post still believes Georgia, Auburn and Tennessee are the three out in front for Mondon this second, but we feel the Bulldogs are still the team to beat. Sources say a commitment could still likely come this summer, but there's not been one planned out just yet from people close to his recruitment.
5-star Tony Grimes has made his commitment date, and he'll make that decision on June 30th. Right now, Dawg Post expects Grimes to choose North Carolina over Georgia and Texas A&M.
