A few of us had the opportunity to have a Zoom meeting with Tommy today. I took some notes and wanted to share.
- Everyone is primarily working from home, working to move the department forward, regardless of circumstances
- There have been no delays on Baseball/Softball/Soccer progress
- Believes NCAA did the right thing to relax the ACT/SAT standards, they were reasonable
- Biggest challenge through all of this is that he's in the human relationship business, coaches are in human relationship/service business, and everything is having to be done at a distance, but we are also learning some things that we can change for the future
- we are at minimum number (16) of required sports, has been a petition to lower that across the country, if it's granted, we will evaluate it. We always want to side on side of student-athlete. We know if the requirements are dropped, but the sport has to return in 4 years, it will cost more to restart it back up.
- On ticket requirements, we buy up tickets every year to meet requirement, as does every G5 program except for 3 or 4, we've been fighting to get those requirements lowered for a decade
- All students that were granted an extra year of eligibility can come back, we will only be able to fund extra scholarships for baseball/softball. Other sports coaches will work those other athletes into the scholarship numbers for their respective sports.
- Guice and I felt it was the right thing to do for the baseball/softball players getting the extra year funded with the way their careers have gone last couple of years
- We are discussing everything in regards to football from a financial perspective, if season is delayed, if we start in October, etc.
- We could possibly benefit from having our money game (Vandy) late in the season
- If UNLV and Prairie View were canceled, it's close to a wash financially
- Baylor wasn't a huge money game due to it being a 3-game series
- So much more that it being discussed when it comes to ticket sales, suites, money from parking, etc. But we just don't know a whole lot about all that right now and how it'll work out.
-Believes we have to play with fans in the stadium (means students will be back on campus). Would have too much of a professional feel if only student-athletes are only ones on campus, we have to understand the NCAA model
- If some section of population can't go to games, it'll hurt all programs across the country, but I think sports will play a big role in rallying the country back from all of this, we will be right in the middle of that for our fans
- Everything is being discussed in terms of saving money, even shortening seasons. He gave an example of shortening baseball/softball from 56 games to possibly 40 games to reduce travel costs, but we are not at that point yet.
- We are always mindful of conference realignment, there are talks behind the scenes every year, we as Louisiana Tech has to be ready at any time. We have to have to have our resume looking as good as possible in all phases at all times. There could be some realignment from all of this, but it'll be on a smaller scale.
- C-USA will do as much as division scheduling as possible, and we will try to minimize flights in non-conference
- It's being made out as easy to shorten a college football season but that is not the case with contracts, long-term impacts, etc. Take for example, FAU (new coach) and FIU have to play twice. They recruit the same area. FIU beats FAU (new coach) twice, could impact FAU for years on recruiting trails. Take for example, Tech & USM are set for home and home in 2020, potentially Tech fans won't travel to Hattiesburg, USM fans won't travel to Ruston, so does it really pay off? It's a way bigger discussion than just cutting travel costs.
I'll answer any questions that you all may have.
- Everyone is primarily working from home, working to move the department forward, regardless of circumstances
- There have been no delays on Baseball/Softball/Soccer progress
- Believes NCAA did the right thing to relax the ACT/SAT standards, they were reasonable
- Biggest challenge through all of this is that he's in the human relationship business, coaches are in human relationship/service business, and everything is having to be done at a distance, but we are also learning some things that we can change for the future
- we are at minimum number (16) of required sports, has been a petition to lower that across the country, if it's granted, we will evaluate it. We always want to side on side of student-athlete. We know if the requirements are dropped, but the sport has to return in 4 years, it will cost more to restart it back up.
- On ticket requirements, we buy up tickets every year to meet requirement, as does every G5 program except for 3 or 4, we've been fighting to get those requirements lowered for a decade
- All students that were granted an extra year of eligibility can come back, we will only be able to fund extra scholarships for baseball/softball. Other sports coaches will work those other athletes into the scholarship numbers for their respective sports.
- Guice and I felt it was the right thing to do for the baseball/softball players getting the extra year funded with the way their careers have gone last couple of years
- We are discussing everything in regards to football from a financial perspective, if season is delayed, if we start in October, etc.
- We could possibly benefit from having our money game (Vandy) late in the season
- If UNLV and Prairie View were canceled, it's close to a wash financially
- Baylor wasn't a huge money game due to it being a 3-game series
- So much more that it being discussed when it comes to ticket sales, suites, money from parking, etc. But we just don't know a whole lot about all that right now and how it'll work out.
-Believes we have to play with fans in the stadium (means students will be back on campus). Would have too much of a professional feel if only student-athletes are only ones on campus, we have to understand the NCAA model
- If some section of population can't go to games, it'll hurt all programs across the country, but I think sports will play a big role in rallying the country back from all of this, we will be right in the middle of that for our fans
- Everything is being discussed in terms of saving money, even shortening seasons. He gave an example of shortening baseball/softball from 56 games to possibly 40 games to reduce travel costs, but we are not at that point yet.
- We are always mindful of conference realignment, there are talks behind the scenes every year, we as Louisiana Tech has to be ready at any time. We have to have to have our resume looking as good as possible in all phases at all times. There could be some realignment from all of this, but it'll be on a smaller scale.
- C-USA will do as much as division scheduling as possible, and we will try to minimize flights in non-conference
- It's being made out as easy to shorten a college football season but that is not the case with contracts, long-term impacts, etc. Take for example, FAU (new coach) and FIU have to play twice. They recruit the same area. FIU beats FAU (new coach) twice, could impact FAU for years on recruiting trails. Take for example, Tech & USM are set for home and home in 2020, potentially Tech fans won't travel to Hattiesburg, USM fans won't travel to Ruston, so does it really pay off? It's a way bigger discussion than just cutting travel costs.
I'll answer any questions that you all may have.
