Mountain West Conference athletic directors are scheduled to meet Monday and could present a plan to the Board of Directors this week on a proposal to resume football as soon as next month.
“The conference ADs and, frankly, a lot of people are working hard on a plan to get all the elements in place to present to the presidents,” UH athletic director David Matlin said Saturday. “In the end, I think recent developments have put us in a (position) where we can consider it,” Matlin said.
Several dates, reportedly including Oct. 24, Oct. 31, have been mentioned as possibilities for the opening of as much as an eight-game, conference-only schedule.
The board, which is composed of presidents of the 12 football-playing members across eight states, had announced on Aug. 10 a decision to postpone fall football.
But Matlin said, “We’re in a better place than we were in a few weeks ago.” He said, “I think the dynamics have changed with testing. I think that has opened up some possibilities. On the testing front there are more options. I think we have more ‘knows.’ You can craft a more accurate model and know what it is going to look like as far as protocols and financial impact.”
MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson said this week work has included, “finalizing a plan for frequent, rapid response testing and continuing to monitor the status of public health directives in our MW states and communities.”
As far as UH, the conference’s most geographically distant member, Matlin said, “I have to see the whole plan before I can really comment on it. I mean, it has to be done in totality, looking at the testing plan, the protocols, which we’re hopefully finalizing soon, as well as the fiscal element to it. But, I’m hopeful that we can get the plan together and make it happen.”
Hawaii is the only state among MWC members with a quarantine currently in place. Beginning Oct. 15 trans-Pacific travelers who pass pre-testing requirements may skip quarantine.
A spokeswomen for Gov. David Ige said UH has not sought a waiver or exemption from quarantining.
Matlin said, “Whatever plan we have, it has to focus on health and safety for our student-athletes, coaches, staff and the community. And we have to do it in a fiscally responsible manner.”
The UH Board of Regents was told last week that the 373 COVID-19 tests had been conducted for the athletic department with four positives. The cost, Matlin said, was approximately $40,000, which was paid through donations and fundraising.
“We’ll see how this plays out,” Matlin said. “It would be great if we could play football.”