Media coverage for the MVFC spring season?

[Virginia Redbird]

I took a look at the MVFC webpage to see what the spring schedule looks like. The listed media coverage looks very lean. ESPN+ is listed as covering very few games and what games they are covering appear to be North Dakota State only. The ISU games are almost all listed with no media coverage. I checked on the goredbirds.com and as usual no information. I checked the ESPN+ website and they list no football programming for February and on. I guess the FCS spring season will have little coverage. That ESPN+ package I purchased is looking to be a waste of money for 2020 and into the spring. I may have to cancel the subscription and maybe sign up again in the fall.

Football - Composite Schedule - Missouri Valley Football Conference

The official composite schedule for Missouri Valley Football Conference

valley-football.org

 

[fourthandshort]

Thanks for posting this I've also got ESPN+ and rarely use other than for Redbird games. I wonder if this is just a slowly developing situation due to budget constraints being more an issue. I'll watch and see how this goes.

But the other thing I'm watching is the increased spread from the latest round of holidays. We're still breaking records many days, and public officials are saying we're just now starting to see the impact from the holidays. With the vaccine distritbution going much slower than was forecasted .. not a good combination right now.

So have to wonder whether there will even be spring football season.

 

[Virginia Redbird]

Thanks for posting this I've also got ESPN+ and rarely use other than for Redbird games. I wonder if this is just a slowly developing situation due to budget constraints being more an issue. I'll watch and see how this goes.

But the other thing I'm watching is the increased spread from the latest round of holidays. We're still breaking records many days, and public officials are saying we're just now starting to see the impact from the holidays. With the vaccine distritbution going much slower than was forecasted .. not a good combination right now.

So have to wonder whether there will even be spring football season.

Maybe ESPN+ is waiting to see if there will actually be a spring season too. ISU-B dropping out of spring football may have been the first domino to fall, who knows. If any more schools decide to drop out then at what point do you just call it a year and focus on fall 2021. I am guessing it will not take many more teams to drop before the spring season is dropped. I agree with ISU-B that an 8 (now 7) game spring season coupled with a full fall season is a lot of football and physical punishment for these young athletes. February 19th is fast approaching so it will not be long before we have an answer.
I only use ESPN+ for Redbird football for the most part. It does not cost much but Why pay for something I don't use at all? I have not tuned into ESPN+ since the fall season of 2019 now. A full year of paying for ... nothing. I only held onto it because I, wrongly it appears, expected the spring season would be on it. Now I wish I had canceled it last spring when the fall 2020 season was canceled. Hindsight is almost always 20/20 (no pun intended).

 

[MadBird]

I think 4th raises a good point about the "medical issues" being somewhat unknown still -- BUT I think in general it is still just too far out to show the schedules for ESPN. I think it's a pretty safe bet all the games will be available on either ESPN+ or ESPN3, when all is said and done. Assuming there's a season..

 

[Total Red]

I was concerned about the total number of games due to be played in '21 but in an odd sort of way any cancellations will help alleviate that problem. We've gone from 8 winter/spring regular season games to 7. I think 6 would be ideal.

 

[Virginia Redbird]

I was concerned about the total number of games due to be played in '21 but in an odd sort of way any cancellations will help alleviate that problem. We've gone from 8 winter/spring regular season games to 7. I think 6 would be ideal.

I'm not a medical guy or trainer. From what I have read a big concern is the shortened length of time between seasons. Fall camp usually begins in August. The fall season ends late November/early December or if you are a playoff team possibly into January. So you are looking at around 6-7 months roughly between seasons, not counting normal spring football drills. The spring season ends in late April or into May for playoff teams. Then they would begin again in August just 2-3 months later. Even if the spring is only 6-7 games (more if you are a playoff team) that is a quick turnaround between spring and fall. As I said, I have no medical/sports training background so I can only say that seems to me to be a lot of physical stress. Any coaches, trainers, or other individuals with relevant expertise wish to comment? I would be interested in that input. A player goes through a 7 game season and a playoff game or two. They get a couple of months off and they are right back into the fall season. With the short break does that increase the likelihood of injuries in the fall?

 

[cubird]

Will be good to develop guys b4 fall. Let you know where the weaknesses are. There will have to be an adjustment in summer workouts to allow more rest.

 

[ISU86]

Most of the posted telecasts involve North Dakota and/or South Dakota insitutions. Both are televised heavily commercially within their resepctive state and the ESPN+ designation probably means they are simply picking up that feed. I am guessing the other schools have not determined what, if any, in-house product they will produce.

I would also think the MVFC will eventually adjust for the InSU dates ... cannot imagine they would have some teams playing seven and others eight games, at least going-in.

 

[redbirdfan04]

The Valley still has a contract with ESPN to have these games on ESPN+ and ESPN3. I just don't think they have actually scheudled anything yet as things could still change. They are not going to want to start the production process until closer to game days. ESPN will want to air anything they can for commercial revenue purposes. I bet some FCS games get ESPN U and ESPN 2 times.

 

[StLRedbird]

I was concerned about the total number of games due to be played in '21 but in an odd sort of way any cancellations will help alleviate that problem. We've gone from 8 winter/spring regular season games to 7. I think 6 would be ideal.

I just re-checked my math and I have us playing 10 games.

 

[Chi-bird]

I will be surprised if they end up having a spring season.

 

[crazzymark]

According to ESPN they have a binding contract with the Missouri Valley Conference football as well as other FCS conferences how about not honoring that would be a breach of contract

 

[Total Red]

Missouri Valley commits to eight-game spring football schedule

Illinois State's spring football scheduled appears in store for a change.

www.pantagraph.com

 

[Virginia Redbird]

Missouri Valley commits to eight-game spring football schedule

Illinois State's spring football scheduled appears in store for a change.

www.pantagraph.com

Looks like a big change of some type is about to land on the teams in the MVFC! Looks like the Birds will be playing SDSU or YSU but where and when is up in the air. From the article is sounds like all the other games may be up in the air as to where and when also.

 

[crazzymark]

I don't know if you know this but the vaccine is only supposed to be incorporated to a percentage of the population to help increase herd immunity which is already happening the number of cases increased of course but that's are decreasing and hospitalizations or decreasing so herd immunity is happening eventually got let it go we got to get back to normal