Ferd Lewis: UH’s hoop hopes rest on California’s grip on virus

AT the moment, you’d have to say Tuesday’s Big West Conference’s public expression of “significant concern” about the mounting COVID-19 cases in its backyard doesn’t augur well for its upcoming league basketball season.

Not when we’ve already seen in the last few hours how rising restrictions, including a ban on sports-related activities, such as practices and games for the next three weeks in Santa Clara County, have forced San Jose State to move Saturday’s scheduled home Mountain West Conference football game with the University of Hawaii from Spartan Stadium to Halawa.

Now, multiply that since the majority of UH’s teams compete in the Big West, where Hawaii is the only non-California member among the 11 institutions, and there is growing concern about the possibility for disruption and cancellation if the COVID-19 numbers continue to escalate and country and state officials feel compelled to tighten restrictions.

The Big West Board of Directors, which is composed of member presidents and chancellors, said in its statement, “There is currently no change to the status of Big West competition, but we will continue to monitor the evolution of the virus along with county and state requirements.”

They no doubt do so with a wary eye on the infection and hospitalization numbers, especially in California. For while, to this point the Big West schools, whose athletic protocols call for some form of COVID-19 testing three times per week, have had laudably low numbers, the campuses and communities that surround them are another matter.

Which is why you suspect at least one school, Cal State Northridge, has had its women’s team opt out of play this year, and several have had players choose to cautiously sit out sports in a pandemic.

The eight California counties where Big West schools are located are currently at the “purple” tier, classified as have “widespread” infections and state officials have warned that drastic statewide restrictions could be implemented as hospitals there become overwhelmed with patients.

On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Southern California is forecast to run out of intensive care unit capacity by mid- to late December, should current trends continue.

The Big West shut down conference play in March and women’s and men’s basketball is to be the “pilot sport” for a resumption of league competition at the end of the month and subsequently other sports, pending government approval.

The Rainbow Wahine and Rainbow Warriors are scheduled to begin Big West play on Dec. 27 — the men at home against Cal Poly and the women in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

So far, neither team has announced or listed a nonconference game, although there has been talk of a Dec. 13 doubleheader at the SimpliFi Arena with the men playing Alcorn State and the women playing a local Division II team, possibly Hawaii Pacific.

In the Big West, where there is no league football, the TV money is especially sparse and not nearly the driving force to play on like it is in many conferences.

While basketball teams are hopeful the green light stays on for them to play the conference season, the other fall and spring sports wait to see what it all might mean for them.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.