Kansas basketball: Should we expect a modified basketball season?

Kansas basketball is set to have a solid team in 2021; however, concerns regarding COVID-19 could change how the season looks.

It’s becoming a reality that the 2020 college football season will look a lot different than usual, and the same could be coming soon for college basketball. This could be bad news for Kansas basketball, given the fact that they’re expected to be one of the best teams in the nation once again.

As of now, the Jayhawks are ranked No. 6, according to both ESPN and NBC‘s early top 25 rankings. There’s a good chance that they can repeat as Big 12 champions, and hopefully receive a No. 1 seed once March rolls around.

The problem is that the NCAA Tournament and season as a whole could look very different than what we’re used to. For example, the Ivy League has already announced that they won’t play any games before 2021, and the Jayhawks were scheduled to play the Crimson on December 29, 2020.

Considering that it’s very likely that if football is played it will only be within conferences, there’s a chance that basketball could move in the same direction. Another possibility for basketball is reduced seating capacity.

For Allen Fieldhouse (capacity: 16,300), here’s what some reduced seating scenarios would look like:

• 20 percent: 3,260
• 40 percent: 6,520
• 50 percent: 8,150
• 60 percent: 9,780
• 80 percent: 13,040

So far, it sounds like the NCAA is still expecting to play March Madness as scheduled per ESPN and Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s senior vice president of basketball. The good news for basketball season is that there’s still a lot of time between now and the start of the season, which gives policymakers and officials a chance to devise plans for safely having the season.

For Kansas basketball, losing two postseasons in a row where they had a good chance to win it all would really hurt. With any luck, the 2020-21 season will go off without a hitch and the Jayhawks will be competing for a title.