{"id":11475,"date":"2020-07-17T10:45:27","date_gmt":"2020-07-17T14:45:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=11475"},"modified":"2020-07-17T10:52:30","modified_gmt":"2020-07-17T14:52:30","slug":"caa-cancels-football-but-jmu-leaves-the-door-open","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=11475","title":{"rendered":"CAA Cancels Football, But JMU Leaves the Door Open"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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There will be no CAA football in 2020. While the official announcement hasn’t been released, multiple media members confirmed that there will be no league competition this Fall. However, reports immediately followed stating that JMU intends to move forward and play if the FCS playoffs are on. As of this morning, Elon is doing the same and Delaware and Towson are considering it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first glance, this seems unusually bold for JMU. The school has a well earned reputation for “monitoring the situation” and proceeding cautiously. Maybe this is actually the exact result of careful monitoring and preparation, but the quick reaction surprised many fans. What was not shocking, was the way the news was interpreted dozens of different ways. Predictably, the pro FBS folks viewed it as a sign that JMU was going to load up on FBS games and begin the process of leaving the CAA forever. Fans from other schools who won’t be playing this Fall declared it reckless. But the majority of fans seem to be completely lost and unsure what comes next. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s important we don’t ignore the caveat in this scenario. JMU said it will pursue scheduling as an independent, if there will be FCS playoffs. <\/em>To me, that makes this seem like more like a contingency plan, than a clear decision to proceed. And that’s great. It’s the smart move. This is not a case of JMU ignoring the pandemic and deciding it’s fine to put players, coaches, and fans at risk. It’s not negligent or a blatant disregard for safety. In fact, it’s probably the opposite. It’s recognizing that things change rapidly, it’s still only July, and it would be wise to have a plan in place, should there be an opportunity to play safely in a few months. JMU is a program built to compete for championships. It needs to be prepared if the championship is going to take place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now if the JMU admin came out and said “we’re playing football no matter what,” I’d be concerned. There are far too many unknowns right now. Without know what the Covid numbers are going to look like in a few months, it would be kind of crazy to make that decision today. But the admin also would be failing to do its job, if it didn’t prepare for multiple scenarios. And there still is a scenario where a significant number of teams can play this season. Thus far, two FCS conferences (Ivy and MEAC) that don’t compete in the playoffs, and a third (Patriot League) that typically only competes in round one, have shut things down for the Fall. The rest are all in play. While it seems incredibly likely that the playoffs will eventually be cancelled, they haven’t been yet. JMU should be ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’ll see where things stand what JMU does down the road. For now though, it seems crazy to rush to judgment. It doesn’t do anyone any good to start throwing darts at the league office or administration of any individual schools. My personal feeling is that this was a rare sign of strong leadership by the league office. Due to travel logistics, certain states having quarantines for visitors, and the fact that some schools probably just don’t want to play, it was never going to be a “normal” season. The league did a good thing by pulling the band aid off now and freeing the schools to do what’s best for them. As fans, none of us have all the facts. JMU shouldn’t be slammed for creating a contingency plan and schools in different situations, shouldn’t be slammed for sitting the Fall out. It’s a scary situation and I’m still doubtful that JMU will play games. For now though, it’s nice to have some football to discuss during a time when distractions are sorely needed.<\/p>\n