With the number of COVID-19 cases rising in states that eased social distancing protocols, Sean T. Frazier, associate vice president and director of athletics at Northern Illinois University (NIU), saw hopes dim for the start of college sports in the fall. Still, he’s determined to not only navigate these challenging times, but to forge a positive and enlightened future. Vice president and director of athletics at Northern Illinois University (NIU), saw hopes dim for the start of college sports in the fall. Still, he’s determined to not only navigate these challenging times, but to forge a positive and enlightened future.
“It does not look positive, so that has changed the cause and effect on the industry of higher education and specifically college athletics,” said Frazier, who has been at NIU since 2013. “We’re at a point…of making a decision about playing fall sports. It’s created a lot of angst because [of] the financial repercussions and the health and safety repercussions.”
Frazier said student-athletes will not be back in action until doctors and clinicians say it’s safe. “If we don’t have data and we don’t have institutional support to be able to do that, then we won’t be bringing them back to compete,” he said.
In Illinois, the governor will determine if students can return to campus. The DeKalb County Health Department will also have a say in the matter. As of now, it appears the NIU campus will be open, but with social distancing protocols in place. Some lectures will remain virtual, but where possible, there will be some hybrid courses. Frazier said the university must see that risk is at a minimum before competitive sports resume.
Each day brings news of institutions and conferences canceling fall sports because of the pandemic.
“The financial side will be devastating to the model that we have in college athletics, which I think for a long time needed a change, a tweak,” Frazier said. “This is a watershed moment and a great time to reset the priorities relative to how sports are managed from a revenue and expense [standpoint.]”
Frazier and NIU’s athletic department have some experience dealing with challenging circumstances. In 2015–17, for instance, NIU had to carefully examine its priorities when there was no state budget, forcing its athletic department to look at revenue streams, sports offerings and staffing.
