Merced College football, basketball canceled due to COVID-19. But some sports to continue
Leaders at Merced College say the school will not field teams this season in five sports — including football and basketball — due to high risk of coronavirus transmission.
However, the board of trustees voted last week to authorize the use of block grant money to support low and immediate risk sports.
That will include women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s swimming, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s soccer and men’s and women’s track.
Merced College will not field teams in football, men’s and women’s basketball and men’s and women’s water polo. These sports could have greater potential of transmitting the virus between persons.
“I wasn’t surprised, but you always have that glimmer of hope,” said Merced College football coach Bob Casey. “I was hoping we could find a better, cheaper option for testing. I knew the numbers that had been thrown around the past two weeks so I knew it was a long shot.”
The cost of COVID-19 testing of athletes, coaching and staff was the biggest factor in the decision, according to Merced College President Chris Vitelli.
Merced College estimated it could cost anywhere from $300,000 to $900,000 in COVID-19 testing to field all sports this spring.
“I think it was really primarily about the health and well-being of our student athletes,” Vitelli said. “It was looking at our resources and logistically how we can make sure everyone is safe and healthy.”
High school sports delayed
The news comes at the same time that the CIF announced that high school sports won’t start until January at the earliest.
All sports are put on hold until the California Department of Public Health puts out guidance on youth sports.
Practices for some sports were scheduled to start next week with games shortly to follow.
“The CIF is confident this decision is a necessary and reasonable action for our member schools, student-athletes, and school communities in light of the current statewide crisis,” the CIF said in a statement.
“This revision to the CIF State 2020-21 Season 1 Sports calendar offers our Sections and Leagues the flexibility and needed time to plan for the return to practice and competition once updated guidance is provided by the CDPH.”
The CIF also announced the cancellation of all regional and state championships.. The move will allow a longer regular season.
COVID testing requirements
According to Merced College football coach Bob Casey, because football is a high risk sport, they would have to test his athletes three times a week, including the nasal PCR test which would be required 48 hours before each competition. The testing requirements are mandated for higher education athletics by the state.
The testing requirements by the state for low and intermediate risk sports isn’t as extensive. Sports like baseball and softball would only have to do surveillance testing, which consists of testing 25% of the athletes per week.
The PCR tests could cost as much as $90 per test. The football team would have had to test close to 100 athletes, coaches, trainers and staff before each game.
There would have also been added costs of shipping the tests to a lab for a quick turnaround. Travel costs would have also increased in order to space out all the athletes on buses.
“Our board realizes the importance of athletics and the impact it has on our student population,” Vitelli said. “Our board is committed to do what it can to let them compete in sports as long as it’s safe and we have the resources to make it happen.”
Merced College isn’t alone
Junior colleges don’t have the same type of resources as four-year schools. That will lead many other junior college football programs to make similar decisions like Merced College.
“I was on a call with the State Coaches Association and there were many school that expect to opt out in the north and the south,” Casey said. “In a lot of these districts like Sacramento and San Jose, the coaches haven’t been able to be with their student athletes since March. The writing is on the wall for a lot of these schools.”
The athletes won’t burn a year of eligibility. Casey says many of his players will use the year to get bigger, stronger and faster and return to Merced College next year ready to play.
If there is any good to come out of the decision it’s that now the players know there will be no season, according to Casey.
“I told our guys if other schools end up playing and you want to go to one of those schools, I’ll help you get there,” Casey said.
Merced College women’s basketball coach Allen Huddleston said the toughest part was telling his players.
“It was like letting the air out of a balloon,” Huddleston said. “There were some dropped heads and shrugged shoulders. I’m just glad nobody cried.”
“It’s tough that basketball was grouped in with the other (high-risk) sports, especially after watching how the NBA got through and how some of these other college teams are handling it, but I understand it. With this virus nobody wants to take any chances,” he added.
This story was originally published December 4, 2020 at 3:06 PM.
