Teleconference Bullets: Gene Smith Discusses Ohio State's Response To Coronavirus, Supports Extra Year Of Eligibility

The Big Ten and NCAA tournaments have been canceled. In-person recruiting is on hold for at least a month. The football team's pro day has been postponed indefinitely. Spring practices have been suspended.

Athletic director Gene Smith spent a half-hour on a teleconference with reporters taking questions on a wide-ranging list of topics related to COVID-19.

Here's a bullet-point rundown of Smith's comments.

• "Obviously this is uncharted territory for us as an institution, let alone as an athletic department."
• He says all the measures implemented are to prevent a "significant community burden on our health care system." He says everybody needs to think of the disease from a community perspective rather than an individual basis.
• Smith says it's "disheartening and extremely painful" to end seasons, but he thinks it's the best for communities and individuals in communities.
• "It was really a pretty complicated process, to be quite honest." He says there were NCAA, Big Ten, institution and department conversations. He was in Big Ten meetings on Wednesday while his internal team was in Columbus having meetings, so there had to be a lot of communication. While driving home from Indianapolis, he was on three different conference calls.
• He says Ohio State has not "quantified" the impact of the cancelations.
• Smith says he decided individually the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments needed to be canceled, so he began to have conversations with those within the conference. Then they talked to the presidents to get to the Big Ten to the point to cancel the tournament. Once that happened, they shifted focus to canceling the NCAA tournament. Smith compliments Kevin Warren for taking the "leadership role" by bringing the Big Ten presidents together.
• Smith says he hasn't been able to have any face-to-face conversations with student-athletes since yesterday's cancellations were announced. Said he has had text and email conversations with seniors hopeful they'll be able to get a fifth year of eligibility.
• On if he's thought about the possibility of not having a football season: "No, I haven't thought that far." He says they have "issues on the ground floor today" to deal with.
• He says the due diligence that has to be taken and the focus required is most difficult aspect of dealing with this from his perspective.
• Smith says he was on a group text with all the other Big Ten athletic directors and has a "collegial" relationship with them, which made it easier.
• He says he wasn't frustrated with the timing of the cancellation of the NCAA tournament. "I was fine with the process."
• Smith says Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren has a good perspective on "student-athlete welfare." Calls him "student-athlete centric" and notes he has a law degree which allows him to think "linearly."
• Why postpone rather than cancel spring practice? "The Big Ten made a decision that all organized team activities be suspended until April 6. Personally, I was of the opinion as well as a few other colleagues, that it should be eliminated." However, since the Big Ten postponed rather than canceled it, Ohio State went along with the conference. He says he hasn't even thought how many practices the Buckeyes would be able to have if they resumed it this spring.
• On whether student-athletes can continue to take advantage of their support services: "Yes. Our student-athlete support services organization has been working with the office of academic affairs, and we're taking advantage of technology." He says motivational techniques might change since they're not in person, but they feel "really good" about the ability to continue to offer services.
• On Ryan Day: "Fortunately, Ryan's extremely talented and he's got an experienced staff." He says he and deputy director of athletics Diana Sabau will eventually sit down with Day.
• Smith says he was happy the NCAA implemented a recruiting dead period "from a competitive equity point of view."
• "I'm definitely in support of an extra year or semester of eligibility for our spring sport athletes." He says he's uncertain on a full academic year since he hasn't yet delved into it, especially for student-athletes who have already graduated.
• He says he hasn't looked into winter sports, but he thinks he will likely be supportive of them getting an extra year of eligibility.
• Smith says no student-athlete has tested positive for COVID-19. 
• He says he's in on the conversations with Ohio State president Michael Drake about the impact of this disease. "I may have come at it from a different place than many of my colleagues." He says he was ready to cancel tournaments on Monday.
• "We needed to put in measures to mitigate the growth of the virus." He says that since the virus would be able to spread if tournaments weren't cancel, it was "common sense" for him.
• Smith says the "hardest part of all of this" is prematurely ending seasons. "I have Andre Wesson's face. I know what he's gone through." He says the faces of those whose careers would end constantly popped up in his mind, but he had to think of what's right for society.
• Smith acknowledges that a potential cancellation of spring practice would have an impact on the football team's preparation for the season, but he's confident in the coaches and strength and conditioning staff's ability to get them prepared regardless of what happens.
• On Ryan Day's schedule: "I don't know what his day-to-day schedule will be like." He says he'll continue to communicate with his coaches, and they'll continue to communicate with their players.
• Smith says Ohio State was prepared to put its own policies to place to suspend spring practices and other organized team activities if the Big Ten didn't, so he's glad the conference came together so everyone's on the same page.
• On how this compares to Sept. 11, 2001: "Very different. I didn't think of it until someone mentioned it this morning in passing." He says this is such an unknown.
• He says those living off-campus have the option of living in their apartment or moving back home. However, they won't have access to facilities.
• On whether Ohio State's decision to close athletic facilities was its own: "It was a decision we made on our own." He says they have already "disease-bombed" the Woody Hayes Athletic Center to kill bacteria. Didn't want to "encourage any volunteer group activities."
• He says the sports psychology offices are still open for student-athletes.