“Normal is the Holy Grail and only those without it know its value.”
As the end of an awful year comes to a close, many are looking at the sports world at the various amateur, college, and professional levels and asking when will everything return to normal? At what point in 2021 should we expect the ability to play and watch athletics to be unhindered and normal? The programs we faced in 2020 were not all created by the pandemic. It just brought many of them to the surface.
The pandemic has had a major impact on sports in America. We have learned to survive in some cases with no games, a few games, games without fans, with a few fans, cancelled games and postponed ones. We have learned to never count on a game being a sure thing right up to game time. Teams and coaches have learned to adjust on the run as game plans are changed based on last minute personnel availability. We learned a new phrase in 2020, the athlete has “opted out” of the 2020 season.
As we head into 2021 the ability to return to normal will require many things. First thing we must do is get the pandemic under control. A virus with no clear end in sight, killing more people daily at a record number as we come to the end of 2020 will not mysteriously disappear. It must be contained and the best ways to do it is to maintain social distancing, wear a mask and to get a vaccine. Studies show the majority of Americans believe this to be the case. However, the last item requiring us to get the vaccine may prove to be the most difficult. Americans can be stubborn at times.
America has become a nation of selective skepticism. We believe a college or university without question when they say they have to cancel a football game because of a lack of player availability due to the virus but we disbelieve our government when they approve a possible cure for the pandemic. We pick and choose who to believe and what logic or reasoning to accept based on ideological and religious reasons. Unfortunately not enough of us use real facts to make those choices. 2020 is the year of unbridled political fear mongering and it will not go away quickly.
Small colleges across America are facing a financial crisis like none before. With student enrollments often featuring between 20-30% student-athletes, these schools are seeing a reduction in enrollment, as sports have been cancelled or postponed, online courses increased and an inability to keep staff and students safe. They have lost revenue, reduced sports and staffing and see no end in sight to the contraction in their staff and programs.
Professional and major college sports also are facing huge financial hurdles. Lack of fans at games, the inability to produce revenue from tickets, parking, concession, and merchandise sales have forced many major colleges and professional teams to make staff reductions, drop programs and reduce salaries across the board. Their revenue sources in the near future are under attack.
Professional and major college teams have been reliant on television contracts to keep them afloat. But for how long can this happen. Television networks have increased costs for safe production of contests, often setting up for a contest only to have it cancelled at the last moment. This is not an indefinite source of revenue for these athletic teams. Just look at the number of Bowl games cancelled this fall and see the millions of dollars of income the networks and teams have lost. As the television revenue is shrinking this important source of income to teams at all levels is drying up as well.
So what should we expect to see in the way of athletic competition in the New Year?
Television holds the key for long-term success at the major college and professional levels as the ability to generate revenue will determine the success for many athletic programs and teams. Smaller schedules, games being cancelled and postponed and staff and programs reduced at all levels. Small colleges and amateur teams will need to increase revenue by creating unique fund raising programs and finding ways to bring support to their struggling programs. They will need to spend money with the hiring of fundraising consultants to make money. Many will fail to do this and continue to suffer revenue loss and program contraction.
Social media is a key to all athletic programs and teams as the need to connect to fans and supporters grows more important. The easiest way to connect to alumni, fans and supporters without a major financial investment is through a strong social media program.
Until we find a way to bring the virus numbers down, and determine the long term health issues created by it to the athletes, we will face safety and health issues beyond our ability to control them. The recent study at The Ohio State University that showed up to 15% of student-athletes infected with Covid-19 having long-term heart issues is alarming.
The best approach we can make in order to hopefully return to a near normal sports world in 2021 is to social distance, wear masks and get the vaccine. Trust the experts because until that happens, we can do no better than to expect more of the same in the way we play and watch sports in America!
Oh Geez Sports 