No one asked me, but …

To the surprise of very few (probably), the NCHC delayed the start of its 2020-21 season on Thursday until at least Nov. 20.

Whatever your opinion on the Wuhan Coronavirus and whatever your opinion is on how much devastation it has – or hasn’t – caused to mankind and the economy, this was pretty much what I expected after conversations with various people in the college hockey world recently.

The consensus of those off-the-record chats could be summed up thusly: We don’t know. No one knows.

An NHL-style bubble isn’t feasible for a college hockey season. And since the NCAA and its conferences (Big Ten, we’re looking at you) are scared out of their minds about liability, the delay shouldn’t be a shock.

I’m told conference-only play is probably option No. 1. In the case of Denver, that’s not a bad thing. Still, I’d like to see the series with Air Force wedged in as well. I think it’s good for the growth of the game and for Colorado fans to have the three Division I schools to play each other every season.

Now some problems.

Aside from the obvious health concerns, which may or may not increase as the weather gets (and stays) colder, no one knows if another key element of survival for the sport will be available. Will teams be allowed to have some fans in the buildings to watch games?

Hockey is a gate-driven sport at the college and pro levels. It’s also a sport that is far superior to partake of in person.

Could the athletic departments of Denver, or Colorado College, or North Dakota survive financially if they had to play in empty buildings? Maybe in the short term, but probably not for long. Going dark might be the only option until it’s safe to have fans in attendance.

Every school in the league is hockey driven except for MAC members Western Michigan and Miami. And it’s not just tickets. In-arena advertising and promotions are a huge source of revenue. Think boards, scoreboard, concourses, urinals, the list goes on …

If no one is there to see the advertising, to purchase concessions, parking and souvenirs, it says here it’s not going to be viable. Not now. Not in November and probably not next spring.

The programs will need arenas to have some fannies in the seats, and not just a smattering of them, to stay solvent. What does that look like? If I had to guess I’d say 50 percent capacity. It could be possible to distance to some extent. Prices would have to be at a premium, which would help schools but not fans.

So where does that leave college hockey fans?

What would it take for you to attend a college hockey game in this climate?

Answer the second question and you may be on your way to having the answer to the first question.

©First Line Editorial 2020