Mario Cristobal is level-headed, stays humble and gets the best from his players. He knows the game as well as anyone, and now he has a Rose Bowl Championship to prove it. But perhaps one of his most valuable characteristics is his ability to stay positive in challenging situations.
On August 11, the Pac-12 announced the postponement of all sports until January 1, 2021. This will be the first fall that Oregon hasn’t played a football season since the 1943 and 1944 seasons when World War II kept college boys off the gridiron. Now it’s a different deadly threat.
But the postponement gave the Ducks something that rarely occurs in the world of college sports: time. Players will be anxious about getting back to competition, but can slow down to gain perspective and hone their skills.
“I don’t know if there’s ever been a time in the history of modern sports where a young generation has the opportunity to work on their craft, to legitimately take a deeper dive into the academic side of things,” Cristobal said in a video conference on August 13. “In this industry, rarely is there a pause where you can actually improve.”
There is currently no scheduled season for Oregon Ducks football, but the assumption is a spring schedule will be played in place of the normal spring intersquad game. On August 13, athletic director Rob Mullens hinted at the idea of starting the season as early as January or February in order to squeeze in more games. January is four short months away.
“I know it’s a little farther away than we all want, but it’s for a really good reason,” Cristobal said. “Because that’s the reason behind it, it’s not difficult to keep planning and stay motivated and keep thinking about all the possibilities that could come with this.“
The postponed season doesn’t affect the protocol already in place for Oregon’s practice and training. The team is allowed 20 hours per week with the players of socially distanced weight training and walkthroughs, plus watching film. For the season to start as early as January or February, the Ducks must remain diligent in following protocols. A single case of COVID-19 could derail the season.
“I’m so proud of our medical team, our coaches, our student-athletes and our staff, of really embracing the protocols that were necessary to keep us safe in this training time,” Mullens said.
Cristobal was also pleased with the way his team has handled the coronavirus. Back in April, he called their experience “a great test of culture.” Now, he feels his team passed that test, and it will be able to handle it just as well this time around.
“I think this team will be ready for anything thrown its way in the future,” Cristobal said.
For now, the Ducks can take some time for themselves to slow down and spend time with each other and their families. This is no doubt a disappointing announcement, but Cristobal and his Ducks will use the time until the start of the next football season wisely, however long it may be.
Fall Saturdays in Eugene will look a little different this year. Cristobal joked his team may be rewatching “a certain game played last January 1st” on some Saturdays. The last silver lining: the Ducks will remain Rose Bowl champions for just a little longer.
