[Farm93]

I'm old enough to remember when ESPN regularly broadcast Aussie Rules Football matches.  They were fun to watch.

BC

Those were the good ole days for ESPN.   Aussie Rules Football, mud pit races, and countless other sports with low cost broadcasting rights.
ESPN absolutely needs content because this HORSE and virtual racing stuff is not going to be enough to justify their carriage fees.  I don't think Korea and Taiwan baseball will get the desired ratings, but once the NFL draft is complete ESPN will lose one of their biggest daily topics.

In the baby steps back to normal I would expect golf to be first big time sport for the USA.   The lack of a crowd will not be a big issue for the TV audience and the competitors do not need to be close to each other.   Even if a player or two gets COVID-19, the show could easily go on as no one player is required for the event to start on a Thursday or continue to Sunday.

Tennis is better with an audience, but it should be possible for tennis to start early too.   There would be a risk for a few COVID19 walkovers each tournament, but that should not be a major issue since walkovers happen at every tournament. 

However, the team sports are more vulnerable to forfeits.   If a team had any player test positive would that team need to forfeit games for a couple of weeks.   The NHL and NBA had outbreaks, but the leagues were already suspended.  If the schedule was active would they have forced those team to forfeit games?  What if it happened in the playoffs.   Imagine if before game #2 of a 7 game series a team had identified a couple of COVID19 positives.  Would that COVID-19 team get eliminated?  That could become a problem for the TV broadcaster.

College sports will remain a no go for months because the student-athletes are still students attending school with other students.   Maybe Alabama or Clemson would be OK risking their students, faculty, staff and research efforts for TV football revenue, but my guess is Stanford wouldn't want to take that risk.

Imagine the fallout from an issue with a non revenue sport?
The women's field hockey and volleyball teams compete against dozens of schools in August and September.   Could you imagine if a university is forced to implement emergency virtual learning for thousands of students because members of the field hockey team got COVID-19 while playing Ball State?

I just can't see most schools with any meaningful academic work risking university operations so a few girls can whack a ball on astroturf.  And given title IX, I can't see how a school could permit football to move forward without allowing WFH and WVB to move forward too.

I guess we will see when the West Coast and East Coast states outline their path forward.   My bet is the NCAA will see enough uncertainty to suspend the fall sports.   We should know by 30 days or less.

[Farm93]

I'm old enough to remember when ESPN regularly broadcast Aussie Rules Football matches.  They were fun to watch.

BC

Those were the good ole days for ESPN.   Aussie Rules Football, mud pit races, and countless other sports with low cost broadcasting rights.
ESPN absolutely needs content because this HORSE and virtual racing stuff is not going to be enough to justify their carriage fees.  I don't think Korea and Taiwan baseball will get the desired ratings, but once the NFL draft is complete ESPN will lose one of their biggest daily topics.

In the baby steps back to normal I would expect golf to be first big time sport for the USA.   The lack of a crowd will not be a big issue for the TV audience and the competitors do not need to be close to each other.   Even if a player or two gets COVID-19, the show could easily go on as no one player is required for the event to start on a Thursday or continue to Sunday.

Tennis is better with an audience, but it should be possible for tennis to start early too.   There would be a risk for a few COVID19 walkovers each tournament, but that should not be a major issue since walkovers happen at every tournament. 

However, the team sports are more vulnerable to forfeits.   If a team had any player test positive would that team need to forfeit games for a couple of weeks.   The NHL and NBA had outbreaks, but the leagues were already suspended.  If the schedule was active would they have forced those team to forfeit games?  What if it happened in the playoffs.   Imagine if before game #2 of a 7 game series a team had identified a couple of COVID19 positives.  Would that COVID-19 team get eliminated?  That could become a problem for the TV broadcaster.

College sports will remain a no go for months because the student-athletes are still students attending school with other students.   Maybe Alabama or Clemson would be OK risking their students, faculty, staff and research efforts for TV football revenue, but my guess is Stanford wouldn't want to take that risk.

Imagine the fallout from an issue with a non revenue sport?
The women's field hockey and volleyball teams compete against dozens of schools in August and September.   Could you imagine if a university is forced to implement emergency virtual learning for thousands of students because members of the field hockey team got COVID-19 while playing Ball State?

I just can't see most schools with any meaningful academic work risking university operations so a few girls can whack a ball on astroturf.  And given title IX, I can't see how a school could permit football to move forward without allowing WFH and WVB to move forward too.

I guess we will see when the West Coast and East Coast states outline their path forward.   My bet is the NCAA will see enough uncertainty to suspend the fall sports.   We should know by 30 days or less.