Look who’s an expert on pandemics.
Auburn’s president is confident that there will be football on the Plains this fall.
Dr. Jay Gogue, in a recent video greeting to incoming freshmen, claimed that the university is “going to have football this fall,” as well as resume on-campus instruction and activities — including more than 500 clubs, freshman convocation and fraternity and sorority activities — for the semester.
Again, there’s nothing wrong with hoping. We’re all doing that. But these two are writing checks with their mouths their asses can’t possibly cash right now. And I’m pretty sure they know it.
I also can’t help but wonder if either of them have chatted with football players to see how on board they are with the plan. I’m guessing not yet.
Get The Picture 
Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t Gordon the guy who said he hoped Jim Tressel didn’t fire him? He s the classic example of a leader who should never be allowed to speak publicly without a script.
LikeLike
Went from Ohio State to West Virginia. That’s telling.
LikeLike
That reminds me of something one of my Marine buddies used to say- “If you put a fence around West Virginia, it’d be Ohio’s biggest zoo.”
LikeLike
He has also been at Colorado when I was there in the early nineties and at Vanderbilt. He may have been at Brown University as well.
LikeLike
Was about to say, this guy is the ultimate example of a journeyman Univ President. He just shows up on a campus, eventually says something stupidly quotable, and then appears at another campus. I have no idea how or why big schools keep hiring him.
LikeLike
If Gordon does suit up, I wonder if they would waive the targeting rule. It’d be a shame not to see him get lit up.
LikeLike
Exactly. We’re all hoping. But even though I’m hoping ICU bed occupancy and total deaths-per-day counts (best measures of “success”) continue to decline, even as states start to re-open, I can’t help but believe we’ll see those numbers start to rise again here shortly. Say, by this time next month.
Maybe the population, as a whole, will be much better than I expect at practicing social distancing and wearing masks and washing their hands. I hope so.
LikeLike
You can pretty much bet the rates will be higher by the fall. Since states are reopening (and I believe that they have to), the general public thinks it’s business as usual. The few times I’ve been out here in Houston, I’d say maybe 30-40% of the people are wearing masks. The majority of people are acting like nothing’s changed. Of course the numbers are showing it, too.
I imagine football will be played in the fall in some fashion. There’s too much money out there to not play, health issues be damned.
LikeLike
In the Fayette Co, just south of the airport, numbers here are dropping…120K or so population…I hope it continues, and honestly, it seems people are going about business pretty much as usual.
LikeLike
I suspect that these presidents know that students/parents wouldnt be sending in those deposit checks right now if they told the truth.
LikeLike
DingDingDingDing!!!!!!! We have a winner in the “What are they thinking?” contest!
LikeLike
So much for making decisions based on the facts on the ground.
LikeLike
Well I, for one, hope that they’ll stop playing games in senior centers because we don’t want 90 year olds catching the Corona from these young men.
LikeLike
Well I do know that here in Georgia USG employees are being told all campuses will be open for students to return in the fall. No details yet on how that’s actually going to happen. But apparently plans are being developed. My thought is if you don’t already know you’re behind in your planning. But it may just be a case of not wanting to show your cards just yet.
LikeLike
If that’s the case, I’m sure more than a few parents will decide its a good time for a gap year. I know admission to UGA is tough. But most of the parents are well educated and better off than the population as a whole. What does UGA do if scores of students don’t show?
With Liberty U. being the most recent standard for underestimating Covid, any school considering opening had better have every box checked before one student sets foot on campus.
LikeLike
I agree. Then the issue becomes what are the boxes. The CDC did draw up a 17 page document but the administration shelved it as being too prescriptive. I think businesses and schools would appreciate something prescriptive at this point. The lawsuits will begin soon. Organizations need to be able to point to something official and say ‘we did everything required of us.’ Otherwise, how do you defend yourself? The answer to your question is, you start working your way down your waitlist and see how many accept. Then you work with whoever shows up. It will not be unexpected if enrollments are down on most campuses. Many students face economic uncertainty with suddenly unemployed parents.
LikeLike
Well, if the parents of some 30K kids at Georgia all decide to withdraw their kids, I’m willing to bet there are 30K other kids at Southern, Kennesaw, Valdosta, etc. who will gladly take their slot
LikeLike
This coming from the same guy who told me at the Music City Bowl in Richt’s first season that a college football playoff would never happen because the school presidents would never agree to it.
LikeLike
Face it we’re playing football in the fall. The old geezers on this blog my not be going to the games but they’re playing. The fact that California schools may not be playing does not really effect much, they don’t win shit anyway. If you wait for total certainty you never do anything. Getting out of bed involves a certain amount of risk. Take the risk or stay in bed ….your choice. As is often pointed out in our cynical society…follow the money…..the bucks are just too big for games not to be played
LikeLike
I am indeed an old geezer. And I am immunocompromised. But I don’t think it’s just folks like me who won’t be attending games or any large event anytime soon. We’ll see. In fact, I’m not sure, but I don’t think the Governor has removed restrictions on such events just yet? Anybody know anything different?
LikeLike
I think you’ll see a change in the bars, events etc at the end of May…stay healthy…govern yourself accordingly.
LikeLike
The comments are all about trying to preserve (boost?) fall enrollment. Lots of schools, large and small, are down in deposits for fall semester. Looks like families are waiting to see what happens before sending the money. If things don’t pick up, lots of places will be hurting because the budget cuts in Georgia will be way beyond Kemp’s 14%.
LikeLike
Gordon Gee has a long history of being a shithead. He only lasted two years at Brown. Gee’s tumultuous tenure at Brown is commemorated annually with the “E. Gordon Gee Lavatory Complex,” a collection of portable toilets that appears during Spring Weekend
LikeLike
Malcolm that made me laugh. Thanks!
LikeLike