Given the overall success of the NBA Bubble in Orlando, Florida to finish out the 2019-2020 season, it made a lot of sense in September when word got out that ESPN was moving 10 early-season college basketball tournaments to Orlando as well in order to minimize COVID-19 concerns and cut overall costs.
The Champions Classic, Charleston Classic, Myrtle Beach Invitational, NIT Season Tip-Off, Wooden Legacy, Orlando Invitational, Jimmy V Classic, and Diamond Head Classic were all expected to move to the ESPN Wide World of Sports property at Walt Disney World, a perfectly realized effort of corporate synergy. Plus, some of the biggest names in college basketball would be involved, including Duke, Michigan State, Kansas, Kentucky, Georgetown, UCLA, Virginia, Gonzaga, and more.
The TV schedule for all of these games sounds daunting, if not exciting, for college basketball fans. Games are currently scheduled to begin on November 25 and these tournaments would overlap over the course of two weeks. With so many games to play, it was noted that “up to three games going on at once” was a distinct possibility, making it a potential boon for ESPN’s networks and streaming service.
However, CBS Sports Senior writer and college hoops analyst Matt Norlander took to Twitter on Sunday with a thread that cast plenty of doubt on most, if not all, of these tournaments happening here. Per Norlander’s sources, “widespread concern is quickly escalating over the stability — if not survival — of every Orlando-based ESPN event.”
THREAD: College basketball’s season starts a month from today, but behind the scenes, according to sources, widespread concern is quickly escalating over the stability — if not survival — of every Orlando-based ESPN event. This is a huge deal.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) October 25, 2020
That’s more than two dozen teams, many of them from power conferences, whose late November/early December schedules have suddenly come up for grabs. This has been a staggering late-October plot twist in the scheduling game.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) October 25, 2020
A month ago, it seemed as though if there was going to be ONE location that was going to be the most secure in terms of attracting teams and holding MTEs, it was Orlando. That’s simply no longer the case.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) October 25, 2020
Multiple sources are expressing doubt over the solvency of the entire operation, and the reason for it is the COVID-19 protocols that are attached to playing in an Orlando event. Major decisions are expected in the coming 2-3 days.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) October 25, 2020
At the heart of the issue for most schools, per Norlander, is Disney’s COVID-19 protocols that come with the Orlando event. As every school has its own protocols in place, moving to a different system could create confusion as well as a lack of flexibility, not to mention concerns over liability if a coach or player tests positive for COVID-19 while in the bubble.
ESPN released two editions of its protocols to teams last week but the measures laid out were not enough to assuage concerns for many. One rule: if someone in your traveling party test positive for COVID, you have to be quarantined in Orlando for 14 days at the team's expense.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) October 25, 2020
Anyone who is 91 days or more removed from a positive COVID test has to be tested again. (CDC guidance is anyone 90 days or under from last COVID positive is clear to not be tested again. The Big 12 and SEC have not committed to the 90-day CDC rule yet, per sources.)
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) October 25, 2020
“One rule: if someone in your traveling party tests positive for COVID, you have to be quarantined in Orlando for 14 days at the team’s expense…Anyone who is 91 days or more removed from a positive COVID test has to be tested again…The Big 12 and SEC have not committed to the 90-day CDC rule yet, per sources.”
You can see where this creates a lot of liability issues for the schools. If a player tests positive, that means they’re going to have to remain in the bubble for an additional two weeks, which not only affects their ability to play beyond the bubble but likely balloons costs. As many of these schools have other games scheduled around these tournaments, they’re being asked to be responsible to ESPN and Disney in a way that might not be worth their time or potential headaches, especially if they can’t control the testing process as they have been.
According to Norlander, many of the schools involved are reportedly reaching out to other Florida schools as back-up options if the tournament doesn’t happen or they end up backing out over the concerns. Some schools are even reportedly speaking to one another about just playing games on their own and, per Norlander, two big names have already decided to opt-out but haven’t announced it yet.
Many power-conf teams now seeking options outside Orlando.B/c of this, it's reached point where ESPN's told others scheduled to play in FL & advised them to start looking outside Orlando for games as means of scheduling insurance—should whole thing come down like a house of cards
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) October 25, 2020
As all of this plays out, teams currently scheduled to play in Orlando are throwing escape-route options against the wall, including some teams having alliances with others so they could play MTEs w/ each other. Heavy rumors on two teams that are 100% out, just haven't told ESPN.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) October 25, 2020
Those schools are not, apparently, Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, or Michigan State, all of whom will play in the Champions Classic, no matter how it happens.
I neglected to include Kentucky + Duke on this, as those two are obviously included with Kansas and Michigan State in the Champions Classic. That is scheduled to be played in Orlando on Dec. 1. All indications are that annual big-time event is going to happen in whatever capacity
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) October 25, 2020
Norlander adds that it remains possible that ESPN could just move some or all of these tournaments out of Disney altogether (which probably wouldn’t sit well with the mouse folks), but that feels relatively unlikely.
Two people wondered aloud to me if ESPN could feasibly move everything off Disney grounds, adjust its protocols to satisfy all parties, and keep most of these games and MTEs in tact. That's not impossible, but just doesn't seem likely.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) October 25, 2020
We can expect to hear a lot more about this in the week ahead as we’re literally weeks away from when the college basketball season is set to start. If these dominoes do fall as Norlander lays them out, it’s unclear how that will affect ESPN’s college basketball inventory over that time. We’d have to imagine a lot of contingency plans are being put into place and will continue to do so as certain schools make decisions to opt-out or change schedules.
