3:18 PM ET
Heather Dinich
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ESPN Senior Writer
College football press reporter
Joined ESPN.com in 2007
Graduate of Indiana University
Sept. 12
Ohio State at Oregon
Senior college football writer
Author of seven books on college football
Graduate of the University of Georgia
The Big Ten on Thursday revealed it will be going to a conference-only season for all fall sports, consisting of football, amidst “unmatched times” during the coronavirus pandemic.
” We are dealing with unsure and unmatched times, and the health, security and health of our student-athletes, coaches, video game authorities, and others connected with our sports programs and schools remain our primary top priority,” the Big Ten said in a declaration.
” … By limiting competition to other Big Ten organizations, the Conference will have the best flexibility to change its own operations throughout the season and make fast choices in real-time based on the most existing developing medical advice and the fluid nature of the pandemic.”
Date
Match
Sept. 5
Michigan at Washington
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ESPN Senior Writer
Mark Schlabach
Iowa State at Iowa
Penn State at Va.
App. Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame *.
The Big Tens potential decision to play only conference challengers would impact 36 scheduled football opponents, 28 from the FBS and eight from the FCS. Six FBS schools– Ball State, Bowling Green, BYU, Central Michigan, UConn and Northern Illinois– are arranged to play two Big Ten opponents this season.
The Big Ten would lose marquee nonconference matchups, including Michigans road game at Washington on Sept. 5, Ohio States journey to Oregon on Sept. 12, Michigan States home video game against Miami on Sept. 26 and Wisconsins contest against Notre Dame at Lambeau Field on Oct. 3.
ESPNs Adam Rittenberg added to this story.
* at Lambeau Field.
The Big Ten is the very first of the Power 5 conferences to make this kind of a major modification to its fall sports. The Ivy League on Wednesday dismissed playing all sports this fall.
If college football can be played this fall, Big Ten presidents and athletic directors preferred the conference-only design, which will eliminate some long-distance travel and aid ensure teams are being evaluated for the coronavirus universally, several sources inside the league and around college football informed ESPN.
Other sports affected consist of mens and femaless cross country, field hockey, maless and womens soccer and femaless volleyball.
The brand-new conference-only schedules for all fall sports will be launched at a later date, the Big Ten said. The conference also stated it would continue to assess other sports.
Huge Ten presidents and ADs talked about the concerns throughout a teleconference previously today, and the leagues head coaches were given an opportunity to weigh in on Thursday morning.
” As we continue to concentrate on how to play this season in a responsible and safe way, based on the finest recommendations of medical experts, we are also prepared not to play in order to make sure the health, security and wellness of our student-athletes ought to the situations so dictate,” the Big Ten declaration stated.
2 RelatedThe conference likewise said it was working with the Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee to complete protocols for the upcoming fall seasons.
The Big Ten stated all student-athletes selecting not to participate in sports throughout the 2020-21 scholastic year due to concerns about COVID-19 “will continue to have their scholarship honored by their institution and will stay in excellent standing with their group.”.
Some Big Ten schools preferred playing only conference foes in football with one extra nonleague game– thus maintaining some of the marquee non-Big Ten matchups– however there was overwhelming support for a 10-game conference-only schedule, the sources stated.
An assistant coach at a Big Ten program informed ESPN that his head coach instructed him to stop hunting and otherwise getting ready for nonconference opponents and focus only on Big Ten foes.
App. Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame *.
