ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — The question, of course, was unavoidable even as the answer remains unclear.
During a conference call last Friday, St. Bonaventure men’s basketball coach Mark Schmidt was twice asked about the potential of playing in an empty Reilly Center this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Schmidt was first queried about possibly having to prepare his players for such an unusual situation and then asked how much of an edge Bona would lose by not having its typical home court advantage. Given that the conversation hasn’t yet reached that point for winter sports, the 14th-year coach could mostly steer clear of the thought, for now, and speak in hypotheticals.
As Bona noted in an email after the media gathering concluded, that point remains very much up in the air.
“As of now, no decision has been made on fans being able to attend college basketball games in 2020-21,” Scott Eddy, assistant athletic director for athletics communications, stated. “The governor has only spoken on fall sports at this time. We continue to wait on state mandates and will follow protocols put in place.”
Earlier this summer, Bona opened its season ticket renewal process, but made clear that with a still-evolving global pandemic, the information was subject to change and “potential New York State restrictions would lead to a situation where we are unable to have a full arena come November.”
“In that case,” the statement read, “full refunds for season tickets would become available prior to the start of the season. Season-ticket holders (will also) be offered a deferral option where they may take the 2020-21 season ‘off,’ but not lose the right to purchase their same seats for the 2021-22 season.”
— As a growing number of NFL players choose to opt out of the coming season, and college football players begin to consider that option, Schmidt was asked if he’d considered the prospect of his players taking the same route.
The longtime Bona boss believes the bigger threat to college basketball is the newly formed NBA professional pathway program, where high school prospects can jump to an alternative G-League setup rather than play collegiately.
“I think the biggest concern that we have as coaches, especially for the Power 5, is the G-League (developmental program),” he said. “I don’t think kids are going to opt out in college basketball; I may be wrong.
“(In football), I guess, if you were going to be a first round pick, why risk it? The only thing you’re going to do is get hurt, maybe get the virus, have a bad year; so I can see (opting out) in football because it’s a contact sport, so you’re taking the chance every time you walk onto the field. But basketball’s a little bit different … but, again, I may be wrong.”
Other notes from Friday’s press conference conducted over Zoom:
— On the discourse between the coaching staff and the team regarding the ongoing push for social justice reform, the Black Lives Matter movement and the forms of protest that have become a significant aspect of the sports world:
“We’ve had meetings with the players, talking about all of that stuff,” Schmidt said. “I want to try to keep that as private with our team as I can, but we’ve had discussions, open discussions, which I think have been really positive.
“We have some really smart kids; everybody’s from different areas of the country, everybody’s been raised a little bit differently than the next, so we understand, they understand (what’s happening), and we’re going to do our part.”
— Last Thursday, the Atlantic 10 announced what it hopes is the set league schedule pairings for the 2020-21 season.
Of its five home-and-home partners, Bona is slated to meet league favorites Richmond and Saint Louis twice this winter rather than George Mason and Fordham, which finished 12th and 13th last season, plus annual foes Duquesne and Saint Joseph’s, and George Washington for a second year in a row. What does Schmidt make of a resulting schedule that’s perceived to be more difficult?
“In this league, it doesn’t matter who we play,” he insisted. “Every game is difficult, every opponent is difficult. A lot of times, some people say, ‘Oh, you have a difficult schedule’ or not as difficult, but you have injuries … and there’s so many things that go on during the season.
“A team you thought was going to be really good has injuries and they’re not as good and a team that you didn’t think was going to be that good, their young guys take that next step and become really good players. So no matter who we play, it’s going to be as competitive as it’s been since I’ve been here.”
