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UPDATED: Nov. 18, 2020 at 2:26 p.m.

Falk College epidemiologists and sports industry executives discussed the pandemic’s effects on the sports and entertainment industry in a webinar on Tuesday.

The six speakers talked about prioritizing the economy and mental health in the industry, and NBC broadcaster Mike Tirico moderated the webinar. With limited or no in-person attendance for sporting events, vendors and partners are losing money.

“The financial aspect is real. How do we live with it for the next year or so?” said Nick Carparelli, executive director of the Bowl Season.

The group is optimistic for next year’s football season. David Larsen, an epidemiologist and an associate professor of public health, said he advocates for wearing masks and expects social distancing to be relaxed by fall 2021. He’s been wearing a mask since February and looks forward to the day he won’t have to. 

The speakers said they don’t want the sports industry to add to increasing case numbers or anxiety regarding the pandemic. They instead hope to make things easier, which means putting public health above football, even if it means economic struggles.

“Obviously, the first responders will get (the vaccine) first, and the NFL and leagues will not go after taking it from these folks,” said Kevin Rochlitz, senior vice president and chief sales officer of the Baltimore Ravens.

The panel agreed that having thousands of fans in the stands is also important for players to feel the gameday atmosphere. There have been concerns about ratings, but the NFL knows people will watch football on TV no matter what, Rochlitz said.

Eight months after the pandemic began, NFL staff are still finding ways to continue playing games to maintain a steady economy within the industry.

“A lot of people are sharing notes within the league to make sure people stay safe and healthy,” Rochlitz said.

The Ravens added mask requirements and installed a tracker system to detect if people get too close. The team also frequently tests players and coaches and reduced the number of in-person staff members at the facility. The Ravens announced Monday they won’t host fans at M&T Bank Stadium this weekend because of rising cases in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore areas. 

Larsen predicted that case numbers across the nation will spike to an all-time high this holiday season. 

“Our country is in a very precarious situation,” Larsen warned. “I encourage everybody to not gather with people outside of the immediate family — take one for the team.”

CORRECTION: In a previous version of this post, Kevin Rochlitz’s title was misstated. He is senior vice president and chief sales officer of the Baltimore Ravens.

Published on November 17, 2020 at 10:00 pm

Contact Ella: enplowma@syr.edu