Times, they are a-changin’.
It seems this period of consensual hallucinations is coming to an end thanks to #COVID19.
Sports are flailing as they attempt to find a way back to the games, but especially collegiate sports. 2/
It seems this period of consensual hallucinations is coming to an end thanks to #COVID19.
Sports are flailing as they attempt to find a way back to the games, but especially collegiate sports. 2/
With the Ivy League canceling all Fall sports, the Big10 moving to play conference games only (if at all), and the ACC delaying the start of all Fall sports until Sept. 1st, it seems the writing is in the wall. 3/
The SEC is set to meet in person next week to discuss the future in that conference. Nobody meets in person these days.
The pro sports are having all sorts of issues trying to get back. It really looks like the dominoes are starting to fall. 4/
The pro sports are having all sorts of issues trying to get back. It really looks like the dominoes are starting to fall. 4/
These small college towns are not prepared to handle an outbreak of #COVID19.
Ultimately I think they’re delaying the inevitable. 5/
Ultimately I think they’re delaying the inevitable. 5/
There will be no Fall sports. No football. No basketball. No nothing. Colleges can't do empty arenas and there are far too many moving parts to do the bubble thing like MLB and the NBA are trying to do. 6/
The NFL has now said they will ban post-game handshakes and jersey exchanges. Okay, but what about the 60 minutes of tackling that would have led up to that handshake. The hard reality is that it's a wrap.
But that will not be the end.
Here’s my guess at what’s next. 7/
But that will not be the end.
Here’s my guess at what’s next. 7/
With universities moving to online only course offerings they’re essentially turning into Netflix. If you don’t have the experience of being on campus, if you’re not doing in-person, effectively what you have is an institution that spends billions of dollars on content and... 8/
... then streams it to you over broadband. That looks, smells, and feels similar to Netflix and Disney+ and HBO Max.
Netflix costs $192/year. Disney+ costs $70/year. HBO Max costs $180/year. And now Harvard is a streaming service charging you $58 thousand/year. 9/
Netflix costs $192/year. Disney+ costs $70/year. HBO Max costs $180/year. And now Harvard is a streaming service charging you $58 thousand/year. 9/
A lot of the reason that universities have been so reticent to acknowledge that they’re going fully digital and fully online is it shines a bright light on the very ugly, 40 year party of raising tuition rates faster than inflation. 10/
The lights are on and it is pretty ugly in terms of the price/value trade-off.
A lot of folks are coming to the recognition that universities have become totally overpriced and a lot of families are deciding they are not going to continue to engage in this trade off... 11/
A lot of folks are coming to the recognition that universities have become totally overpriced and a lot of families are deciding they are not going to continue to engage in this trade off... 11/
...if they’re only getting the certification/education and not getting the experience. The industry of higher learning is going to have to face the same economic hardships and realities as everyone else and it has not yet come to grips with that. 12/
There is a financial destruction coming to the university system in America just like it has to every other business that sits shoulder to shoulder with the consumption of a product like sports, restaurants, or travel. 13/
They have not cut costs and have been planning for business as usual. The fists of stone are coming and the collective chin of the university system is defiantly stuck out into the wind. 14/
My tweet from the other day:
