Chapman football coach holding out hope Panthers can still play in the spring

Chapman head coach Bob Owens leads the Panthers in a game last year. (Photo courtesy Chapman University sports information, Larry Newman)

Chapman University’s long-time head football coach Bob Owens has seen a lot during his 50-year coaching career.

But he said he’s never experienced such a challenge as the one the coronavirus pandemic has presented. High school and college sports have been on hold since March and the future is very much up in the air.

“I don’t think any of us ever envisioned or thought about the fact we would see anything like this ever in this country that was just out of control and affecting people at the rate it has or anything that would affect and impacted the world,” said Owens, who is entering his 14th season leading the Panthers.

On Friday, the 72-year-old Owens found out that Chapman’s football season for the fall has been canceled. Chapman officials and members of the conference that Chapman belongs to, the SCIAC, will discuss in the future whether they can have football in the spring, possibly in late February or March after a decision to cancel a number of fall sports, including football through 2020.

“My reaction is probably the same as it is througout the country, it certainly is disappointing and I’m sure many players, as well as coaches, feel the same,” Owens said. “On the other hand it wasn’t something that we didn’t see coming but when it’s here, it’s very disappointing. I think for a lot of players coming into their senior class or senior year, they’re certainly frustrated and I understand that. I would be frustrated too as a senior.

“And I’m somewhat frustrated as a coach but I know we have a 2021 season around the corner and so as well as I can be frustrated, I think you always have to take a step back and find what’s the positive in the situation and be ready to proceed forward in the most positive manner that you can.”

Owens said he is optimistic a football season can be held in the spring.

“That’s one of those positives,” he said. “I think the NCAA is looking at programs being able to have spring football. I don’t know if they would move the championship category as well. I’m not sure one way or the other there but the consideration of being able to play a full season or a modified season. A modified would be half of your regular game schedule and for us at Chapman that would be five games and so you could play up to half of your regular schedule and not be penalized.”

If there is a modified schedule, Owens said he understands that seniors would then get a chance to play one more year.

“It would not affect their eligibility as long as you play half or less of your regular schedule,” he said. “It has to be determined but I think if you were to do that, it would probably start around the lower part of February and go through March.”

Owens said players may be concerned about this week’s decision, but reminds students about the value of a Chapman education.

“The first thing we tell kids is that Chapman is a tremendous institution,” he said. “So if you’re coming here just to play football, you’re probably making a poor choice. Between the professership we have and the quality of our departments, there is such a great opportunity to come and learn and be part of something special. And that’s why you should come to Chapman and be part of the Chapman community. No matter how much success we have in football, and I do think we’re having some, those things will over-ride and those principles and that knowledge will just take you right into life and give you the opportunity to be successful.”

Owens expects his players to remain in condition and be ready for when football does start.

“Conditioning for us is an expectation,” he said. “I really believe that, so our new guys will have to understand what the culture is, but our guys understand every year when we come to play we have to be the best conditioned and bigger, stronger, faster team in our conference.

“Now, we’re not always going to be bigger. But we can certainly be as fast and as strong, and that’s an expectation of our guys. A lot of the stuff they do the summer, they will just do it and they understand when they show up in the fall they have to be ready to play because we such a short window before our first game so our guys will come in in fantastic shape and come in very strong.”

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com