蜜柚直播

UA coach Kevin Sumlin, speaking to reporters Tuesday, noted that the Wildcats鈥� season was supposed to start next week. The Wildcats were supposed to face Hawaii at 蜜柚直播 Stadium on Aug. 29.

That game, as we all know, was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. So was the entirety of the Pac-12 season, even after the schedule was remade.

Instead of fine-tuning the鈥� game plan for the Rainbow Warriors, Sumlin and his staff have been formulating a plan for the rest of this football-less fall.

鈥淪o many times, athletes, coaches, trainers, (they) train for that particular season,鈥� Sumlin said. 鈥淪o everything鈥檚 put into a timeline: Here鈥檚 when we start, here鈥檚 what we鈥檙e looking for this season.

鈥淏ut as a competitor, what we鈥檝e talked about (is), this is completely different. You have to continue to train, not necessarily prepare for a certain opponent but prepare for the next opportunity that you鈥檙e going to get, (even though) you don鈥檛 know when that happens.

鈥淚s that difficult? Yes. But that鈥檚 what they pay us to do as coaches.鈥�

Sumlin and his staff are trying to build a team culture despite not knowing when that team will play its next game or what the roster will look like. The Wildcats had just begun what Sumlin described as 鈥渁n NFL-style OTA model鈥� of practice 鈥� 20 hours a week consisting of workouts, meetings and walk-throughs 鈥� when the Pac-12 decided to postpone the fall season on Aug. 11.

That program continues indefinitely while the Pac-12 and the other leagues that opted to shut down, including the Big Ten, begin to formulate plans for a spring alternative. Sumlin isn鈥檛 ready to go there yet, because so much remains uncertain. It was the idea of a spring season that prompted his reference to 鈥渘ext week.鈥�

鈥淥ur preparation is going to be to get us better through this process,鈥� Sumlin said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to say, to make that kind of plan right now, based on what we鈥檝e seen over the last couple months.

鈥淲hat we would like was to play football and play next week. But that didn鈥檛 happen. When you ask a coach what you鈥檇 like to see, that鈥檚 fine. But what can really happen is going to be a different scenario.

鈥淒o the kids want to play? The majority of them do. I really believe that, particularly if they know it鈥檚 about a safe an environment as it could be.鈥�

鈥楴ow what?鈥�

The news, as UA athletic director Dave Heeke noted last week, already had leaked by the time the fall sports teams officially were informed. That didn鈥檛 make Sumlin鈥檚 address to his squad any easier. The normally nonchalant coach had to compose himself first.

鈥淲e鈥檙e all human,鈥� Sumlin said. 鈥淚t affected me. I knew a little bit before the announcement happened. Some people saw me and knew something was up because I wasn鈥檛 myself that day.鈥�

Sumlin鈥檚 job sometimes forces him to deliver news that his players and fellow coaches don鈥檛 want to hear. Such was the case the previous Tuesday. Sumlin didn鈥檛 have many concrete answers for the group either.

鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 a great situation for anybody,鈥� Sumlin said. 鈥淏ut as I said (to the players), it鈥檚 鈥楴ow what?鈥� Once that decision is made, now what? What we鈥檝e worked on and what we鈥檙e working on constantly is the plan for 鈥楴ow what?鈥� 鈥� what鈥檚 that going to look like?鈥�

As Sumlin said Tuesday, it isn鈥檛 as simple as 鈥渏ust moving on.鈥� It鈥檚 critical that the Wildcats be ready for the next season, no matter when it starts or what it looks like. As such, they have shifted the emphasis to self-improvement.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e not preparing for a specific opponent yet,鈥� Sumlin said. 鈥淲hat you鈥檙e preparing is yourself.鈥�

Sumlin acknowledged that the situation isn鈥檛 the same for everyone. Newcomers are happy to be here and to have started their college careers, even if the current reality doesn鈥檛 match what they envisioned. Some upperclassmen are contemplating what might be next 鈥� and it might not be playing football in a UA uniform.

鈥淟et鈥檚 be honest,鈥� Sumlin said. 鈥淧layers are gonna make decisions about this year.鈥�

The timing and structure of a 鈥渟pring鈥� season could influence those decisions. In a radio interview Monday, Stanford coach David Shaw called for 鈥渨inter football鈥� taking place in January, February and March. That schedule would give NFL hopefuls adequate time to prepare for the draft and returning players more time to rest for the following season.

Most important, Sumlin said, is figuring out the eligibility ramifications for participants.

鈥淭hat conversation needs to be had and needs to be solved,鈥� Sumlin said.

A father鈥檚 perspective

Nothing illustrates the strangeness of the current situation for Sumlin better than this: One of his sons, Jackson, is a walk-on tight end/H-back at Oklahoma, where his father once coached. The Sooners play in the Big 12, one of three Power Five conferences that are forging ahead with the fall season.

Kevin Sumlin last week participated in a Zoom call with Lincoln Riley and OU medical personnel 鈥� as a parent.

鈥淚 have a son who鈥檚 right in the thick of it in a league that鈥檚 trying to ramp up to play,鈥� Sumlin said. 鈥淚t gives me another perspective, sure, but I think it also gives our own players another perspective of where I am 鈥� not just as a coach but as a dad.鈥�

Another twist: Sumlin鈥檚 youngest son, Joey, plays for Salpointe Catholic High School. The Lancers just started virtual classes. While Kevin Sumlin spoke from his office at the Lowell-Stevens Football Facility, Joey was engaged in online school at his father鈥檚 home office.

Salpointe still plans to play football this fall, although that remains far from certain. Sumlin is hopeful his sons will have an opportunity to play. But he鈥檚 skeptical that the Pac-12鈥檚 rivals will make it to the starting blocks, let alone the finish line. Several universities already have shifted to online instruction amid outbreaks of the virus.

鈥淭oday, people are saying they鈥檙e gonna play,鈥� Sumlin said. 鈥淛ust like we came out with a schedule, and a week later we were done. Let鈥檚 wait a couple of weeks and see what happens.鈥�

Extra points

• Sumlin said players are welcome to seek second opinions on medical issues, a concern that arose after suspended offensive tackle Edgar Burrola contended that a shoulder injury of his was brushed off last season. 鈥淲herever I have been as a head coach, including here, the players have had the right to seek a second opinion,鈥� Sumlin said. 鈥淎t no point have I ever said anything other than that.鈥�
• Recruiting remains under a 鈥渄ead period鈥� through at least the end of September, and Sumlin doesn鈥檛 think that鈥檚 going to change anytime soon. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how you鈥檙e going to have official visits before the end of the year, or even early in the spring, or unofficial visits (with) guys coming on campus not being tested,鈥� Sumlin said. He suggested that the early signing period, slated for Dec. 16-18, could be 鈥渁 great opportunity for a young man in a time that is uncertain.鈥� 蜜柚直播 currently has 20 verbal commitments for 2021.