FAYETTEVILLE -- This humanitarian crisis of the coronavirus pandemic whenever eventually curbed could create a humanitarian conflict in American collegiate athletics.
Obviously college athletics isn't an important pimple compared to this coronavirus worldwide threatening lives and livelihoods. But looking beyond this new normal to down the road, not too far down the road we all pray, college athletics will get back to its old normal of the NCAA's have-not members vs. the haves.
The issue already surfacing would be ethically doing the right thing restoring another year's eligibility to all the men and women spring sports athletes whose seasons were cut short or not started at all because of the since March 12 shutdown and eventual cancellation of all collegiate athletics through June.
Fiscally weighing against physically doing the right thing is the increasing cost involved expanding the scholarship rosters with extra-year returnees plus incoming recruits already signed or about to sign.
The Power Five conferences, the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12 and Pac 12, presumably have the finances to do it.
Schools from other leagues generally have less to cover such costs but collectively more votes on NCAA legislation.
Arkansas Women's Track/ Cross Country Coach Lance Harter, previously coaching Division II Cal Poly San Luis-Obispo, has seen it from both sides.
"If it comes to a vote, traditionally there are the haves and the have-nots," Harter said. "The Power 5 type conference schools, they probably can afford a one-year adjustment. I would see the have-nots going, 'Hey, we're already kind of at a disadvantage because we can't give a full allotment of scholarship in particular sports. And then of all of a sudden you're allowing the haves to have even a few more?"
Arkansas Men's Track/Cross Country coach Chris Bucknam, previously coaching Northern Iowa, also has seen it from both sides.
Starting with the non-scholarship Division III up to the Power Five, Bucknam sees three ranges of schools' commitment to collegiate athletics.
Better for each to function governed separately, Bucknam has said.
Arkansas Baseball Coach Dave Van Horn, coaching Division II Central Missouri State and Division 1 mid-major Northwestern State before coaching Nebraska and Arkansas, more than concurs.
He hints a potential scholarship battle could be the tipping point towards what he foresees as inevitable.
"With some of the other conferences when it comes to a vote they're maybe gonna vote against it," Van Horn said. "Hopefully the Power Five will say, 'You do what you wanna do we're gonna do what we want to do.' I think it's coming to that one day. I think the NCAA should give us what we need to do to take care of the kids."
Of course like most, the Power Five schools also are economically hit by the pandemic's effects.
The hope here is they first use more of their reduced funds investing in restoring scholarships over their ceaseless and costly facilities arms race.
Surely this pandemic reminds us all that people are more important than things.
Sports on 03/21/2020