Spring sports, fall sports, access to Luth, the AI, etc

With respect to OOC schedules, one reason may be restrictions on travel imposed by several states, most particularly Massachusetts.  Half the PL can't at this time, play in MA, because visitors from PA, MD are subject to quarantine.

IMO, the number of OOC games will be very few.  The focus is on getting 18 games for league play, plus a post-season.  And travel will be minimized.   Before fall sports were shut down, the PL agreed that no OOC games would be scheduled with schools whose COVID protocols were less rigorous than the protocols adopted by all PL schools. 

Re testing.

When HC signed a contract with Broad, HC sought to test approximately 2800 students every 3-4 days (initially) plus x number of staff. At that time, the number of institutions that had signed with Broad was about 25.

Subsequently, another 75+ institutions signed contracts, and the state also began tasking Broad to do testing in cities with high case rates, e.g., Chelsea, Lynn, etc.

At the time of the contract, Broad had a daily testing capacity of about 35,000 tests, and was only doing about 10,000 daily tests. Broad said its max capacity, if it expanded test lines, was about 75,000 tests per day.

In early August, Broad apparently told HC it might not have capacity to test HC students twice a week, at least during the early weeks of the semester. HC then decided to go remote, (There were other significant factors that contributed to this decision, to be discussed elsewhere.)

IMO, when Broad signed contracts with these other 75+ institutions, this squeezed their capacity. The Commonwealth also added to the demand for tests.

In early September Broad's daily testing has peaked at 65,000-67,000 tests a day (with HC doing 400+ tests a day, rather than 1,000+). That level may be max for Broad, while still providing a reserve for surge testing.

MA took two more states off several days ago.  From the map in the Globe, the six New England states are off, plus NY, NJ, NM, CO, and I can't recall if WA and OIR are also off .  

SAT's are required for athletes by NCAA rules.  HC doesn't us SAT's for lots of students and has publicly stated that the school does not consider the standardized tests as a reliable indicator of success in college.  I assume admissions, at least at HC, will decide the way they normally do.

------------------------------

In terms or restricted travel between certain states, isn't a negative test within a certain time an acceptable substitute for quarantine?   Lots of people from Florida showed up in Foxboro last Sunday.  People from up and down the east coast have been coming to Fenway for a while now.   As far as  issues with state restrictions, I would be more concerned about MA only allowing 25 max for indoor gatherings.   2 basketball teams + coaches + officials + potential video streaming personnel > 25 people

My understanding is that the NCAA is waiving the SAT requirement for the clearinghouse.  One can't be recruited unless one is in the clearinghouse so HC has always had SAT scores for recruited athletes.

Did all these people from Florida gather in the parking lots.  I understood no fans in the stands for at least the first two Pats games.

This should be an area of flexibility during the pandemic as long as it's a level playing field with both teams having the same prep time. Before a vaccine is available to college kids, the less time spent congregating together statistically should result in slightly less spread anyway.

If the NCAA came up with a pandemic era rule of one practice per game, the play level would be lower and Colleges would get less bang from their coaching salary buck, but the Covid spread would scientifically have to be lower, I would think.

ADMB.  And said in the context of when athletes would need to be back on campus prior to the start of the spring semester.  As this was from the NCAA, I recall ADMB observing that starting competition in fall sports in Worcester while still in the dead of winter would not be happening.  And it may be the six weeks incorporates an allowance for inclement weather / conditions limiting practice days.  The NCAA may also be factoring that running fall and spring sports concurrently may tax athletic facilities.

No fans in the stands in Foxboro.  There were people from Miami on the field playing and coaching that did not quarantine , but presumably had a negative test