*** The Pac-12 Hotline newsletter is published each Monday-Wednesday-Friday during the college sports season and twice-a-week in the summer. (Sign up here for a free subscription.) This edition, from May 7, has been made available in archived form.
Past disasters spawned an approach to higher education that could lead higher education through the current disaster … and create a path forward for college football in 2020.
The so-called “hybrid model” of teaching — a combination of in-person and online instruction — might allow campuses to open for business by eliminating large gatherings in lecture halls and thereby reducing the threat of coronavirus spread.
If the classrooms are deemed safe, even in a modified way, the locker rooms might be allowed to open.
The former doesn’t guarantee the latter, but it gives college sports a fighting chance this fall.
Conversely, closed classrooms (and dining halls and dorms) would ensure closed locker rooms.
“If the students, broadly, are not back on campus,’’ Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott told the Hotline recently, “I don’t imagine the student-athletes being back under any scenario.”
The origin of the hybrid model is difficult to pinpoint, but it has been in use for years — a response to natural disasters and severe weather events that disrupted campus life.
An article published three years ago by Inside Higher Ed noted that the model was used at Brookdale Community College in New Jersey following Hurricane Sandy (2012) and offered this context:
“As natural disasters have dominated headlines this summer, colleges and universities across the country are recognizing the value of hybrid course offerings, in which students split their time between face-to-face and online instruction.
“In some cases, instructors use hybrid courses to host traditional lecture and classroom discussions online and use more active forms of teaching in the classroom. Others offer lectures in class and assignments online.
“Officials and instructors describe numerous benefits to this model, which allows students to balance course work with other responsibilities while maintaining the most essential components of the residential experience.”
Applied today, the hybrid model would allow campuses to hold large lectures online, thereby reducing super-spreader events and protecting the faculty, which could be more at-risk than students because of the age-related impact of COVID-19. Smaller classes, group discussions and lab work could be held in-person.
The approach is under discussion on numerous campuses within the Pac-12, including — crucially — Cal.
With its urban campus, an early start date (Aug. 26) and the strict shelter-in-place guidelines imposed across the Bay Area, Cal might be the trickiest situation in the Pac-12 — the greatest obstacle to a full complement of football teams whenever the season begins.
If Cal doesn’t open its classrooms, and locker room, Stanford, a mere 45 miles away might not, either.
It’s unlikely that one would deem campus life unsafe for students while the other barreled ahead as usual.
And if Cal doesn’t open its classrooms, and locker room, would UCLA?
The schools are part of the same system — a system managed by the University of California Office of the President.
“I think it’s fair to say none of our campuses will fully reopen,” UC president Janet Napolitano said recently.
But in that same discussion, with the Bay Area Council, Napolitano outlined plans to deploy the hybrid model:
“I think what some of our campuses are exploring is a mix, where there will be some material delivered in a classroom or lab setting, so-called wet labs, and other classes will continue to be online.”
That mix is the way out, so to speak — the key to opening the doors to create a hint of a semblance of normalcy that would allow sports to resume. — Jon Wilner.
• The Hotline revamped its publication schedule this week due to a series of developments on the content production front, resulting in no original articles on the site on Wednesday and this rare Thursday edition of the newsletter.
• If you missed it, the Tuesday newsletter examined a possible unintended consequence of canceling, or delaying, the season: Top rising seniors could consider entering the NFL Supplemental Draft this summer … And who might those players be? We assessed the best prospects for the 2020 season and the 2021 NFL Draft, with a certain Oregon left tackle in the No. 1 spot.
• Previous editions of the newsletter are available in archived form.
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• Arizona became the latest school to announce pay cuts for coaches, with football’s Kevin Sumlin and basketball’s Sean Miller accepting 20-percent reductions through the 2020-21 sports cycle. Combined with other cuts, including a 20-percent decrease for athletic director Dave Heeke, the department’s total savings will approach $900,000.
• During a recent media session (via Zoom), ASU coach Bobby Hurley was effusive in his praise for recruit Joshua Christopher and admitted being somewhat “blindsided” by Romello White’s decision to enter the transfer portal.
• White’s likely departure caused the Sun Devils to slide in the CBS Sports Preseason Top 25 and 1 rankings. As a result, Oregon, Stanford and UCLA all climbed one spot.
• The Pac-12 was arguably the most improved conference in the country last season. Here’s a full breakdown of the risers, fallers and teams that held steady, with key data points comparing conferences.
• Former UCLA recruit Daishen Nix, who picked the G League over the NCAA, is part of the Pathway class and an example of the “hollowing of college basketball,” writes the Daily News’ Mark Whicker.
• Several of the top international players in the 2020 recruiting class are headed to the Pac-12, according to 247sports.
• One of the most perplexing developments of the spring: No deal between Justin Herbert and Nike. Oregonlive’s John Canzano digs into a case that’s quite curious. “Can anyone imagine (Joey) Harrington or (Marcus) Mariota being unsigned at this point?”
• Remember those killer LSU football videos from the Tigers’ title run? Well, USC has hired two of the people responsible in hopes of enhancing its social media messaging.
• Would UCLA fans return to the Rose Bowl if the season played out before a vaccine was available? “There was natural social distancing going on throughout the season last year,” one fan told the L.A. Times’ Ben Bolch. (Harsh, but true.)
• Public health should be the priority; justifying college football for any other reason (i.e., money) “is neither safe nor sane,” writes the Salt Lake Tribune’s Gordon Monson.
• Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith is “pretty confident” there will be some football this fall.
• Arizona hopes Shontrail Key, a converted basketball player — all 6-foot-7 of him — helps energize what has been a low-voltage pass rush.
• The early returns for Cal’s 2021 recruiting class are positive, based on the ESPN rankings.
• Meanwhile, Rivals recruiting analyst Mike Farrell believes USC had the best April in the conference.
• Washington cracked the CBS Sports preseason top-25: “With a solid defense, the floor is not too low for this Washington team. A disaster scenario is probably six wins. The ceiling will depend on how quickly (playcaller John) Donovan can find a quarterback and get his system humming.”
• Sports Illustrated interviewed dozens of college sports administrators and asked four questions: “1) When can on-campus practice begin? 2) What are the options for a football season? 3) How significant is football to athletic departments? 4) And how would athletic departments recover from a loss in football revenue?” One response: “It’s extremely hard to imagine any football in the fall on any level.” The article is both broad and specific — well worth the time if you’re interested in the calculations on all the key issues.
• The Athletic took its own deep dive — into the world of social media endorsements. How much cash could college stars receive for their Instagram and Twitter followings if name, image and likeness legislation produces a favorable outcome for the athletes? “Though many fans and college administrators fear bidding wars for football players involving boosters who own businesses, the most tangible means by which the typical college athlete will profit off his or her NIL value will be through monetizing their social media followings.” The article includes some fascinating projections.
• The impact of the college sports shutdown on recruiting is clear: More prospects have committed than ever before at this point in the recruiting cycle. Per this 247sports analysis: “Prospects are scrambling to secure spots in classes, even if they have never visited those campuses.” But that could lead to “an epic season of decommitments in the fall.”
What’s coming on the Pac-12 Hotline:
• How’s the harmony? We’ll examine the Pac-12’s collective state of mind as the states in the conference move forward at different speeds.
• The Hotline stock report has been pushed back to early next week and will assess key roster moves and a few off-the-field matters.
• The ‘Your Voices’ series, in which Hotline readers share their favorite memories, is scheduled to begin next week.
• A reminder: The Hotline has loads of content planned for May, but the publication schedule is highly fluid as we prioritize developments on Covid-19 and the football season. For example: The change in this week’s newsletter production date. I greatly appreciate your patience and support.
The next newsletter is scheduled for Tuesday. Enjoy it? Please forward this email to friends (sign up here). If you don’t, or have other feedback, let me know: pac12hotline@bayareanewsgroup.com.
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*** Pac-12 Hotline is not endorsed or sponsored by the Pac-12 Conference, and the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Conference.
