College board votes for fall season — for now

Officially known as “Plan B,” as it relates to football, there would be a reduction of regular-season games, going from a traditional 10-game slate to eight or nine games, and a shortened playoff schedule that would feature a regional championship game — but no state title game.

“They had a couple of different options,” said Tim Tulloch, College of San Mateo head football coach and who served on the football coaches’ committee to work on a return-to-play plan for the sport. “What they approved, based on a trigger date and the state being in a healthy state in late July, that our football season is a go.”

The adoption of the plan comes at almost the same time as Gov. Gavin Newsom declared that the entire state is free to enter Phase 3 of the reopening plan.

The decision by the CCCAA board of directors, however, is not binding in the traditional sense — as of this time. The board will reconvene July 17 to decide if Plan B is still relative, based on the state guidelines in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is a big step,” Tulloch said. “There were other options, including a plan moving (football) to the spring.”

Not everyone was as positive. Kim Hoffmans, a member of the CCCAA board, said she doesn’t have a lot of hope that the state will be ready to move into Phase 4 by the time July 17 rolls around.

“I don’t see, in my gut of guts … We have to be in [Phase] 4 to be in Plan B,” Hoffmans said.

The approved plan also addressed spectators at games and until the state is Phase 4 — the final phase of the reopening of the state — fans will not be allowed at games. And even then, individual colleges and districts will make the final decision.

“This was the best (plan) we could write today,” said board member Jill Board. “We can only go with what (information) we have today.”

The work group that presented the plan said in a memo to the board: “The plans set forth are not perfect.”

The decision by the board, however, was not enough to save some seasons. Ed Carberry, the head football coach for Southwestern College in Chula Vista, said during the online conference that his school has canceled the entire fall sports schedule. His assistant coach, Dionicio Monarrez, added that his school’s decision was based on the safety of the players, coaches, students and administrators.

“I don’t see a plan that addresses the safety of [everyone on campus],” Monarrez said. “I’m not confident coaching a hundred-plus athletes without testing everyone.”

In addition to Southwestern, Tulloch said College of the Redwoods in Eureka suspended its football program as part of nearly $500,000 in cuts to the athletic department. Cabrillo College in Aptos has suspended its football program for the next two seasons.

“Player safety is just one part of it. There are budgetary conditions to consider. There may be some (college) presidents trying to find the best way to lead their college forward. What I love about our school is they understand how important scholar-athletes are to our district,” Tulloch said. “We will see over the next year or two which administrations truly support athletics and truly support our scholar-athletes.”