Lake Expects Other Conferences to Follow Pac-12, Big Ten Lead and Postpone Season
Jimmy Lake, the new University of Washington football coach forever waiting to make his game-day debut, insisted on Friday that the Pac-12 made the right call in delaying the fall season.
He also strongly suggested that the other Power 5 conferences — three of which are attempting to push on and play games in the face of a pandemic — eventually will have to follow the same path as the Big Ten and Pac-12.
"I don't want our team to be guinea pigs," Lake said of supporting the decision. "I don't want our staff to be guinea pigs. If things are not going to be safe, we need to error on the side of caution. I'm just extremely grateful that we have extremely smart and bright people who are able to navigate us through this."
In a 45-minute Zoom meeting with media members, Lake told how he favored an eight-game "spring season," which could begin as early as January, and a shortened 2021 fall season, similar to what Purdue coach Jeff Brohm has been circulating.
He didn't expect a return to college football scheduling normalcy until the fall of 2022.
Trying to be hopeful, the Husky coach even hinted, or maybe wished, that "spring football" practice could begin as early as this November, possibly bringing fans out to watch his team prepare for a January season start.
"We just have to make sure we have the virus under control before we have a spring season," he said.
Lake disclosed that he's lost one scholarship player, highly regarded redshirt freshman Sama Paama, a 6-foot-4, 348-pound defensive tackle from Waipahu, Hawaii. The coach said only that Paama decided "to retire." The lineman appeared in one game, against Hawaii, in 2019.
Asked if any Husky football players had tested positive for COVID-19, team trainer Rob Scheidegger, who was on the call with Lake, declined to answer, citing medical privacy limitations. He reiterated that 12 active cases have been found among more than 250 athletes who have been administered 1,000 tests.
Scheidegger did say the Pac-12 decision to delay the season wasn't made this week, that it was over a culmination of watching the virus play out over weeks. He cited three factors guided it: 1) the prevalence of the virus in conference cities; 2) the inconsistency of testing among the schools; and 3) the emergence of possible long-term effects, such as cardiac issues.
Lake said his 13 seniors will be given scholarship extensions to play their final season, that everything will be put on pause in terms of their eligibility. He cited NCAA legislation being sought to add a similar amount of scholarships to the roster of 85.
As for his NFL prospects on the roster, the coach said he has asked them to be patient, see how things play out and make an informed decision. He mentioned how pro football could push back its combine and draft dates.
"Is the NFL going to be able to pull their season off?" he said.
Lake mentioned that 2021 recruiting has gone really well, but feared that the 2022 class was going to be a problem for everyone because high school seasons will be canceled or shortened, limiting player development and evaluation.
The coach said the Huskies will be ready to play whenever that might be, staying highly motivated to train and prepare.
"I think our medical team did a good job of describing the reasons why we're postponing the season," Lake said. "Even though there is disappointment, our team understands why we made the decision."
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