No Big Ten decision yet as players and coaches lobby to play football
It was a confusing day for anyone who follows or plays Big Ten football.
Monday began with rumors that the Big Ten would be the first Power Five conference to pull the plug on football season. There were reports and even stories published that it was a done deal. Some outlets even reported a 12-2 vote to cancel.
By the end of the day, nothing actually happened. There was no announcement.
Of course, plenty did happen behind the scenes, but there was no clearer picture on the state of Big Ten football this fall. Maybe there will be an announcement Tuesday, perhaps the league will push back the planned season opener of Ohio State at Illinois on Sept. 3.
Players, parents and coaches alike took to Twitter or used whatever platform available to argue for playing the season as planned. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh released a lengthy statement detailing the success of his program's COVID-19 testing this summer.
Nebraska's Scott Frost said his team would consider playing this fall even if the Big Ten does cancel the season. Maybe the Big 12 would welcome back the Cornhuskers temporarily. Ohio State coach Ryan Day went on ESPN to say his team would "explore every option" to play this fall.
A number of players got together to compose a statement with the twin hashtags of "We Are United" and "We Want to Play." The message was tweeted by Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields and many others.
One question for the Big Ten is, would it be comfortable postponing football season to the spring if the other Power Five conferences don't follow suit?
The ACC is moving forward with plans to play, according to cbssports.com. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey released a statement on Twitter, which read in part, "The best advice I've received since COVID-19, 'Be patient, take time when making decisions, this is all new and you'll gain better information each day.' ... Can we play? I don't know. We haven't stopped trying."
The one piece of tangible news Monday was the Mountain West Conference announced plans to postpone fall sports, with the hope of playing in the spring. This follows the lead of the Mid-America Conference, which made the same decision Saturday.
Two FBS programs, Connecticut and Old Dominion, have announced they will not play football this fall.
Meanwhile, two other FBS conferences, the Sun Belt and Conference USA, said they are still planning to move forward with the fall season.
Big 12 and Pac 12 presidents are both expected to meet Tuesday, with decisions on fall sports possible.
One concern of university presidents is myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscle, has been found in at least five athletes from the Big Ten, according to espn.com. This condition can be caused by viral infection, and the COVID-19 virus has been linked with myocarditis with greater frequency than other viruses.
Indiana incoming offensive lineman Brady Feeney has gone public with his experience. He contracted the coronavirus after arriving on campus this summer, had a difficult two-week ordeal with the disease and has since developed a heart condition.
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