Forbes magazine offers quotes from a Harvard release in a story under the headline, As Harvard, Yale And Princeton Go, So Goes College Sports? (LINK)
As they taught us in school, then, let's go to the primary source.
As they taught us in school, then, let's go to the primary source.
Straight from the release on the Harvard athletics website (italics are mine) (LINK):
Harvard's decision to bring up to 40 percent of students to campus this fall has implications for our Athletics program. We anticipate that the Ivy League will issue a decision on July 8 about fall sports competitions and training. Even in the absence of this guidance, we acknowledge that our medium density plan will necessarily place limits on what athletic activities are possible at Harvard this fall.
For varsity events, fans can consult the individual team schedule pages or the composite schedule page. This page will also be updated immediately as changes are confirmed.
And from Harvard Magazine (LINK):
At this time, Harvard College will not be sponsoring or permitting any in-person programs or events, either off-campus or on-campus, in the fall. Most facilities such as common rooms, gyms, and large gathering spaces will not be open.
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I have been receiving emails asking if I have any solid information on what is going to be announced tomorrow. The answer is no.
That said, I've heard from a few people with reason to have insight into what the Ivy League mucky mucks are thinking and there's one thing they seem to agree upon: There won't be Ivy League football this fall.
Keep in mind, though, we won't know for sure until tomorrow.
A 21st century media version of the telephone game – with each successive website or outlet simply taking the word of the last – suggests the full menu of fall Ivy League sports will moving to spring. That includes football.
That may well be the case, but I've also heard from sources who believe the Ivy League is taking it one season at a time and will not be kicking the can down the road. This theory holds that spring sports were called off, and with the pandemic showing no signs of slowing down, fall sports will be called off next. That will put winter sports on the clock.
Green Alert Take: There's a certain validity to that second school of thought. Assume for a second that fall sports are indeed moved to spring. What happens then, if winter sports have to be called off? Do they, too, get moved to spring? Of course not.
What will the decision be? We'll find out tomorrow.
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The Cleveland.com website has a story worth checking out under the headline, Do Ohio State and other college football teams need masks to practice and play during COVID-19? (LINK)
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Amid all the "will they or won't they noise" I missed a story from the Daily Pennsylvanian several days ago under this headline: As Penn goes test optional, prospective athletes still must submit scores; All Ivy League athletic programs must adhere to the Academic Index when recruiting players. (LINK)
Green Alert Take: Wow, talk about a Catch-22. Think about it. A terrific high school football player looks like a strong candidate for Ivy League admission without taking the SAT or ACT. But in order to be recruited he must take the test and as he expected, he scores miserably, thereby dragging his Academic Index down. Fearing how he would do on the test, does he choose to gamble on getting in as a regular student sans the standardized test, or does he roll the dice, hope the recruiting process helps him and pray that when his substandard scores come back his AI doesn't rule him out? Put simply, there might be some kids who can get into an Ivy League school as a student but not as a football player.
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Lede from a story in today's Valley News (LINK):
Dartmouth College, facing financial pressure in its budget because of the coronavirus pandemic, said on Monday it was offering a “retirement incentive option” to qualifying employees in 2020.
The one-time buyout offer includes six months of pay to employees who have worked at the college for at least 10 consecutive years and whose combined years of employment and age is at least 75.
A Dartmouth spokesperson estimates 18 percent of the college's employees, roughly 550 people, qualify.
Those holding out for a better deal might want to keep reading to where it says:
Dartmouth said the buyout offer is “one-time opportunity” and the college “does not anticipate offering such a program again in the foreseeable future.”
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EXTRA POINT
Looking for something on a shelf here in the world headquarters of Big Green Alert I came across a bumper sticker from the mid-80s that I thought you might get a kick out of. In the interest of full disclosure, this is from my days working in Dartmouth's sports information office and I had something to do with it ;-)
