Carla Williams Made The Right Decision In Moving Ohio Game

While Virginia athletic director Carla Williams may be taking heat in some circles for moving the Cavaliers’ home game with Ohio to Nashville on Saturday in order to avoid a conflict with Hurricane Florence, we believe she made a solid decision.

First of all, you have to understand where Williams is coming from on this decision.

Her job, particularly at this point and time, is to do everything within her power to help Virginia’s football program win games and return to the postseason. She has thrown her entire support behind her football coach and realizes that UVa desperately needs to get its program back to the level to where it can compete for the ACC’s Coastal Division title.

Considering that every potential win on UVa’s schedule is practically a must win situation, and that Ohio University is a “winnable” game, Williams had to pull out all the stops. While beating Ohio is not guaranteed, a win over the Bobcats could be the difference in the Cavaliers returning to a bowl game, or posting a winning season.

Remember UVa’s 5-1 start last season? The Cavaliers were sweating bullets in the back end of the schedule as to where that bowl-eligible sixth win was going to come from. That’s why this game against Ohio must be played, in Charlottesville, in Nashville, or on the Moon.

How desperate is Virginia to take a shot at winning?

Extremely desperate. While other schools were quick to cancel games, give Williams credit for using good old-fashioned common sense and thinking outside the box.

Remember growing up when your momma told you, “better safe than sorry?”

What if Williams had moved the game to Thursday, which would have been logistically challenging, and the weather had turned nastier than expected, causing cancelation or postponement?

What is she had waited to see if the storm would diminish in strength, but instead it strengthened?

The old axiom, “He who hesitates is lost,” applies here.

Williams obviously used her connections at Vanderbilt, where she used to work in that athletic department, to make the arrangement. Smart thinking, out of harm’s way, an easy flight from Charlottesville.

Realizing there is no regional appeal in the Music City for either Virginia or Ohio football, with the exception of some Wahoos that live within driving distance, Williams, or someone in her department, decided on free admission so that perhaps enough fans might show up to provide some kind of atmosphere, as opposed to playing in a near-empty stadium.

How desperate is Virginia to get this game in, again?

We are guessing that UVa will lose some significant money on this deal, but getting the win is more important for a program that is struggling to return to consistency.

We suppose that on top of paying for the flight to and from Nashville, bus service from the airport to the hotel to the game, hotel expenses, food, some payment to rent Vandy’s facilities, isn’t cheap.

On top of that, we’re guessing that Virginia will still have to pay Ohio for what would have been a travel game to Charlottesville. A few years ago, a “buy game” cost Virginia around $750,000, although MAC teams have been so highly in demand, that some were getting a cool million for such a one-time road game.

Of course, Williams’ main goal was to keep fans safe. Goes without saying.

“Our top priority is the safety of everyone involved and I appreciate the understanding of our fans,” Williams said. “We’re extremely grateful to Vanderbilt University and vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs director and athletics director David Williams for graciously supporting our efforts.”

Ohio AD Jim Schaus clearly understood Williams’ decision.

“Our hearts go out to the people in east coast areas that may be impacted by the storm,” Schaus said. “We are ery understanding of the changes that needed to be made for our game.

“The staff at Virginia has been outstanding to work with during this short notice transition,” he continued. “It will be nice that the game will be played in excellent weather. Calling all Bobcats to head to Nashville for the game, if you can make it.”

Williams realized when she first arrived in Charlottesville that in order for Virginia’s athletic department to thrive and pay all the bills for a large athletic program, then football desperately needed to be successful and generate ultimate revenue.

Football is the engine that drives the train. Virginia needs to get back to a bowl game, and needs every win it can get. Beating Ohio could be the difference in postseason or a losing season.

Williams made the right call.