Lincoln Riley: 'We Will Find a Way' Even Through Future Financial Constraints
There are obvious changes to how the sports world must adapt in order to move forward in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Oklahoma football coach Lincoln Riley suggests one of the biggest, most overlooked alterations to the upcoming season will be expenses.
Programs will most likely do individual COVID-19 testing and upgrade parts of facilities in order to maintain cleanliness. They'll certainly take a variety of precautions to ensure the well-being of every athlete.
“I think we’re all preparing for potentially some changes,” Riley said. “We don’t know exactly what all of that will look like, what that season will look like or the financial impact.”
The responsibility comes at a heavy price. The pandemic continues to impact universities financially, and schools will take an even bigger hit if sporting events do not bring in revenue from fan attendance.
“We’ve all got to be ready to adjust,” Riley said. “We are vigilant with our money. There’s a perception that schools like OU get whatever they want and can spend money recklessly. That’s not the case. The dollars we have available to us, we are thankful for and respect where they came from.”
Although the state of Oklahoma continues to meet criteria for reopening, there is no opportunity to replace the revenue already lost due to event cancellations and the absence of ticket sales. And undoubtedly, the required resources will expand as the funds decrease.
“If we have to make it work with a smaller chunk,” Riley said, “we will find a way.”
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