by Keith Kelley–17 Aug ’20
One week ago, it was a dark day in collegiate athletics. Fall sports in the Mountain West were postponed last Monday, after a vote by league presidents. The plan is to play those sports in the spring, including football. The problem with that is just the number of games, and the amount of practice time put in over a calendar year. University of Wyoming Athletic Director Tom Burman believes that a spring season is doable though, if done right.
Burman said, “That’s a short window for two seasons. The seniors have to be prepared for the NFL Draft. The NFL has supposedly told college football that they’re not interested in moving the draft, so that creates an issue. But, if there was a way to play a spring season, and maybe it’s a shortened, condensed version, and then we play a season in the fall of ’21 that starts a little later, maybe even slightly condensed as well. So, over a 15-month period, a kid would play fewer games than if they played two straight seasons.”
The big thing for Burman is that student-athletes have to have a say in this, and have their voices heard on a spring seasons.
Burman adds, “And I don’t think right now that they’re in an emotional position to have those discussions, and I would say the same for coaches. There are coaches right now that are saying they’re not interested in a spring season, that are going to be interested in a spring season in the coming weeks, just because they are competitors by nature, and they love what they do. Am I interested in a spring season? Yes. Do I think it’s possible? Yes. But only if student-athletes and coaches think it’s beneficial.”
Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson stated last week that winter sports are still scheduled to start on time.
