Name: Big Ten to cancel 2020 fall football season due to COVID-19, move to spring an option
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Big Ten to cancel 2020 fall football season due to COVID-19, move to spring an option

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Indianapolis StarView CommentsBLOOMINGTON –&nbsp;The Big Ten is expected to&nbsp;cancel the 2020 college football season&nbsp;in a historic move that stems from concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic, multiple people with knowledge of the decision ."It's done," one high-ranking&nbsp;source in the Big Ten told the Free Press on Monday afternoon.&nbsp;The Big Ten’s decision would make&nbsp;the powerhouse conference — rivaled in political power in college sports only by the SEC — the first Power Five league to cancel its fall football season, a move that will have far-reaching, long-lasting financial and cultural impacts. According to reporting from various national outlets, other Power Five conferences could follow the Big Ten’s lead in the coming days.&nbsp;IU President Michael McRobbie has declined comment through his communications team on the events of the past 72 hours. McRobbie is among the longest-tenured and most-influential presidents in the Big Ten.Through the entire summer, the league pressed forward. There existed hope that evolving testing and mitigation strategies could be coupled to wider improvement in the national public health situation.Instead, the country at large has struggled to contain COVID-19, with worrisome numbers reported across several regions of the United States in recent weeks. Indiana as a state set a one-day record for confirmed positive cases just last week.&nbsp;Locally, a variety of college programs have had to pause summer workouts because of a positive test. IU paused football activity for two weeks in July after announcing six positive tests within the program. One player, freshman offensive lineman Brady Feeney, required a brief emergency room visit after experiencing breathing problems.&nbsp;Feeney’s story entered the public discussion early last week, when his mother wrote a Facebook post detailing his ordeal fighting COVID-19. It caused, perhaps, . Feeney has been dealing with aftereffects of the virus but is healthy again and with his teammates.&nbsp;But Feeney’s story — from his positive test despite IU’s extensive precautions, to concerns over possible long-term aftereffects, even in young people — spells out the risks associated with attempting a college sports season while the world waits for an effective COVID-19 vaccine, and more effective therapies.&nbsp;Widespread player organization in recent days also introduced a complicating duality — many athletes badly want to play, but they are also aware of the risks and are willing to fight for protocols, conditions and reforms on their terms.&nbsp;That’s not to say there hasn’t been vocal support from athletes for a fall season. Several Penn State players tweeted recently their firm desire to play. Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, one of the most talented and accomplished players in the country, argued at length on social media over the weekend that players were safer in their programs, and that the risks of postponing the season could be as great as the risks associated with holding one.&nbsp;Lawrence's voice in particular became amplified late Sunday, when he was among several prominent college football players to adopt the hashtag "#WeWantToPlay," an apparently coordinated movement between players across the country in support of both a fall football season, and a greatly expanded role for players in the wider decision-making process.Nevertheless, despite several conferences (including the Big Ten) announcing revised football schedules just last week, the oldest Division I athletic conference in the country looks set to punt&nbsp;on fall 2020.There will be dozens of questions to ask in the coming days — what comes next, how this decision affects athletes and coaches, how it affects recruiting and whether college football can reasonably expect to return for a spring season. Debate over the merits of amateurism will once again expand. And the conversation will also begin to shift substantially toward the other moneymaker in college sports, basketball, which will have to answer many of the same questions college football ultimately could not.&nbsp;Follow IndyStar reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.View Comments

Indianapolis StarView CommentsBLOOMINGTON –&nbsp;The Big Ten is expected to&nbsp;cancel the 2020 college football season&nbsp;in a historic move that stems from concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic, multiple people with knowledge of the decision ."It's done," one high-ranking&nbsp;source in the Big Ten told the Free Press on Monday afternoon.&nbsp;The Big Ten’s decision would make&nbsp;the powerhouse conference — rivaled in political power in college sports only by the SEC — the first Power Five league to cancel its fall football season, a move that will have far-reaching,...

Big Ten to cancel 2020 fall football season due to COVID-19, move to spring an option

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