Big Ten Football

Big Ten fall sports have been postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but murmurs about bringing the 2020 football campaign back to life have occurred over recent days.

However, it appears unlikely the conference will start play anytime soon, per a report from Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports:

Sports radio host Dan Patrick previously reported the Big Ten was looking at a potential Oct. 10 start for football if the conference could "pass updated safety measures and procedures."

The ACC, Big 12 and SEC, three of the Power Five conferences, will begin play later this month. Along with the Big Ten, the Pac-12 has also postponed fall sports, with the possibility of playing the season in the spring if it's safe to do so.

The call to have Big Ten football has grown louder since the conference's Aug. 11 postponement. Parents of Big Ten football players have written letters, gone to the conference's Chicago headquarters and released statements about their displeasure regarding the call, and even President Donald Trump has gotten involved.

Of note, Trump spoke with commissioner Kevin Warren about getting the Big Ten back on the field, and a tweet from the President stated the two had a "productive conversation."

Word has emerged in recent days of a potential plan to start an eight-game regular season beginning around Thanksgiving, per Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Per ESPN's Adam Rittenberg and Mark Schlabach, a start in early January preceding an eight- or nine-game season in indoor facilities only is also a possibility.

"It may be a little earlier, but around January," Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez told ESPN.

"We may try to start earlier. We're talking to all of the TV people, trying to get all of the information and see what fits. We still have to go through our chancellors and presidents to OK it."

We'll see if Big Ten football happens in the coming months, but it looks as though the conference won't see play until at least November.

Penn State and the school's director of athletic medicine, Wayne Sebastianelli, clarified Sebastianelli's previous comments that 30-35 percent of Big Ten athletes who tested positive for COVID-19 also had myocarditis, a condition that inflames the heart muscle and can potentially be fatal.

Kyle Bonagura of ESPN provided the clarification:

Per Parth Upadhyaya of the Centre Daily Times, Sebastianelli said the following Monday during a State College Area board of directors meeting:

"When we looked at our COVID-positive athletes, whether they were symptomatic or not, 30 to roughly 35 percent of their heart muscles (are) inflamed. And we really just don't know what to do with it right now. It's still very early in the infection. Some of that has led to the Pac-12 and the Big Ten's decision to sort of put a hiatus on what's happening."

Studies have discovered a link between the coronavirus and myocarditis, per Paula Lavigne and Mark Schlabach of ESPN:

"A study published in July in JAMA Cardiology found that out of 100 adult patients in Germany who had recovered from the COVID-19 infection, 60 percent had findings of ongoing myocardial inflammation. A recent review of myocarditis listed with the National Center for Biotechnology Information cites some estimates that find 1 percent to 5 percent of all patients with acute viral infections may involve the myocardium, or the muscular tissue, of the heart."

Concerns over both the coronavirus and myocarditis led the Mid-American Conference, the Mountain West, the Big Ten and the Pac-12 to postpone their fall athletic seasons, including football. The NCAA also postponed all fall championships outside of football.

Sebastianelli said in his original remarks that the level of cardiac inflammation seen in the athletes tested was "alarming":

"You could have a very high-level athlete who's got a very superior VO2 max and cardiac output who gets infected with COVID and can drop his or her VO2 max and cardiac output just by 10 percent, and that could make them go from elite status to average status. We don't know that. We don't know how long that's going to last. What we have seen is when people have been studied with cardiac MRI scans—symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID infections—is a level of inflammation in cardiac muscle that just is alarming."

The University of Washington's Dr. Kim Harmon told reporters the Pac-12 has been working with Harvard on a study of the link between COVID-19 and myocarditis, the results of which are expected in about a month. 

Despite those studies and the conference's earlier decision to postpone the season, the Big Ten is reportedly considering an October start to the football season, per radio host Dan Patrick:

That report followed a phone call between Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren and President Donald Trump on Tuesday in which Trump pushed for a return to play, ostensibly to help boost his support in swing states like Pennsylvania, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin ahead of November's presidential election.

"I think it was very productive about getting Big Ten playing again, immediately," Trump told reporters. "Let's see what happens. [Warren is] a great guy; it's a great conference. Tremendous teams. We're pushing very hard."

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh joined the college football debate Wednesday, pushing for the Big Ten to restart its season.

"I'll throw a little controversy out there, this is my position, I say free the Big Ten," Harbaugh said, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN. "Free the Big Ten. Let's go play some football. Let's get Michigan and Ohio State and all those great teams playing some football."

Harbaugh's brother is Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh. He noted the Wolverines had zero positive tests for COVID-19 in August.

"For anybody who wants to opt out, they can," he added. "Their families should have that choice, just like the SEC gave the players and the families that choice. Most of them decided to play as a family. I think the Big Ten players should have that choice. I'm on record, you got it, free the Big Ten."

The Big Ten announced on Aug. 11 that it would postpone the 2020 fall season as a result of the coronavirus. Commissioner Kevin Warren later explained that concerns about long-term effects of the virus as well as rising transmission rates were a factor in making the decision.

There has been significant blowback, with Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields starting a petition to reinstate the season. Eight Nebraska players have filed a lawsuit against the Big Ten.

Despite the support from players, 11 of the 14 school presidents and chancellors voted to postpone the year.

The league is now considering plans for a restart, with Dan Patrick reporting it could begin as early as Oct. 10. Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported a potential start date around Thanksgiving, while Adam Rittenberg of ESPN added beginning the season in January is most likely.

Harbaugh is clearly trying to help his brother, but it seems like the coaches and players will likely have to wait to see Big Ten football.

At least one prominent person with ties to the Big Ten is optimistic the conference will play football in the fall. 

Speaking to Columbus, Ohio's local NBC affiliate, Ohio State president Dr. Kristina Johnson said she is "very hopeful" a fall season will happen:

"We want to make sure our athletes get a shot because they've worked really hard and they deserve a shot to play. At the same time, we want to make sure that they're safe, so we're doing our work, we'll come back and I'm very hopeful that we'll be playing football this fall. ... If we all do our part, wear a mask, stay six feet apart, wash our hands then you know I think we've got the procedures in place to go forward."

In the time since the Big Ten's Aug. 11 announcement that it was postponing fall sports, there has been an ongoing debate involving the people running the conference and those who want to see football played. 

The most recent development came Tuesday when President Donald Trump tweeted he had a "productive conversation" with Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren "about immediately starting up Big Ten football."

The Big Ten issued a statement about Warren's conversation with Trump, via 247Sports' Garrett Stepien:

"On Tuesday, September 1, 2020, Commissioner Warren and the President had a productive conversation.

"The Big Ten Conference and its Return to Competition Task Force, on behalf of the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors (COP/C), are exhausting every resource to help student athletes get back to playing the sports they love, at the appropriate time, in the safest and healthiest way possible."

Per The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach, one Big Ten athletic director said the conference "wants to find a way to play as soon as possible but to also avoid another false start" like when it released an adjusted schedule featuring only intraconference games. 

"The issues that caused the postponement have to be resolved to the [Big Ten] presidents' satisfaction," the athletic director told Auerbach.

The Big Ten football season was supposed to begin Sept. 5, with every team scheduled to play 10 regular-season games, leading into the conference title game on Dec. 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. 

As things stand, the Big Ten and Pac-12 are the only Power Five conferences not scheduled to play football in the fall. The ACC will open the nonconference slate Sept. 10 when Miami hosts UAB. The Big 12 will begin Sept. 11, and the SEC will open play on Sept. 26. 

After initially postponing all fall sports until the spring, the Big Ten could open its college football season much earlier.

"From source: If conference can pass updated safety measures and procedures, Big Ten targeting Oct. 10 to start football season," Dan Patrick reported Tuesday.

Nebraska athletic director Bill Moos countered the rumor, saying, "There's nothing to that," via Parker Gabriel of the Lincoln Journal-Star.

The Big Ten had initially postponed the season out of concern for the COVID-19 pandemic. In an open letter, commissioner Kevin Warren noted the rise of transmission rates was a significant issue as well as the unknown long-term effects of the virus.

After a lawsuit from Nebraska players, the Big Ten revealed there was an 11-3 vote from university presidents and chancellors to postpone the season.

While the Pac-12 joined the Big Ten in postponing the season, the SEC, ACC and Big 12 are going forward with mostly conference-only schedules beginning in September.

The Big Ten has been discussing alternatives for the 2020 season, including a potential eight-game season beginning on Thanksgiving, per Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Adam Rittenberg of ESPN reported the late November start is a possibility, but beginning in January is "getting the most attention."

Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez, who is part of the return-to-competition task force, indicated the plans were to have a season during the winter.

"It may be a little earlier, but around January," Alvarez told Rittenberg and Mark Schlabach of ESPN. "We may try to start earlier. We're talking to all of the TV people, trying to get all of the information and see what fits. We still have to go through our chancellors and presidents to OK it."

With a potential start date in October, fans could see their favorite teams even earlier.

President Donald Trump spoke with Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren on Tuesday in what both sides called a "productive conversation":

Trump is hoping to push the league toward playing a college football season after the conference announced Aug. 11 that fall sports would be postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

"Disgraceful that Big Ten is not playing football. Let them PLAY!" Trump wrote in a tweet Friday.

The Big Ten said it made its decision based on medical advice from the Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee. An open letter noted concerns about transmission rates as well as unknown long-term effects of the virus.

In addition to the potentially fatal symptoms of the coronavirus, Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic reported there was an alarming number of Big Ten players who had developed myocarditis, a rare heart condition that is possibly linked to COVID-19.

After a lawsuit by eight Nebraska players, the Big Ten released that there was an 11-3 vote by presidents and chancellors to postpone the season. According to Adam Rittenberg of ESPN, Nebraska, Ohio State and Iowa were the three schools that opposed the move.

The Big Ten is considering alternatives for the season, including a possible Thanksgiving start for at least an eight-game season, per Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Big Ten presidents and chancellors reportedly voted 11-3 to postpone the 2020 fall football season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic reported the news Monday, noting the detail was revealed as part of a brief and two sworn affidavits filed by the league. According to the report, the Big Ten is still looking for the dismissal of the lawsuit eight Nebraska football players filed in Lancaster County District Court.

Brett McMurphy of Stadium shared the conference's statement:

The Big Ten called the lawsuit that is attempting to nullify the postponement decision "a baseless complaint" but did say it will provide more transparency to players and parents with regard to the actual decision.

Auerbach explained much of the frustration stemmed from a lack of clarity about whether there was a formal vote before Commissioner Kevin Warren and the league made its announcement to postpone the season.

"We didn't vote per se," Minnesota president Joan Gabel said. "It's a deliberative process where we came to a decision together, but I absolutely support the decision that we came to. Safety first. Absolutely, safety first."

Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour said, "It's unclear to me whether or not there was a vote."

That Warren wrote "An Open Letter to the Big Ten Community" on Aug. 19 to reaffirm the decision did not do much to quell frustration.

Randy Wade, the father of Ohio State cornerback Shaun Wade, organized a protest with parents of players on multiple teams at the Big Ten office in Rosemont, Illinois, on Aug. 21, looking for more clarity and a bigger voice.

Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields posted a petition calling for the season to happen. The petition has more than 300,000 signatures as of Monday.

The lawsuit from Nebraska players may look to "unearth more information from school presidents, athletic directors, trainers, coaches and medical experts" even though the vote was revealed, Auerbach noted.

"Among the information that push might turn up, a source indicated to The Athletic: documented failures and shortcomings in schools' ability to follow contact tracing, testing and prevention guidelines that league presidents knew about but did not publicly cite as support for their decision," she wrote.

Auerbach also noted Big Ten bylaws require 60 percent or more of presidents and chancellors to be in agreement to postpone the season. While the vote was not unanimous, the conference reportedly met that threshold.

Ohio State defensive tackle Haskell Garrett has been released from the hospital Monday after being shot in the face early Sunday morning.

Columbus police said Sunday (h/t ESPN) that Garrett was taken to Ohio State Wexner Medical Center with a through-and-through gunshot to his cheek. The incident was called in to police at 12:28 a.m. ET Sunday.

No further details have been given on the incident, and no suspect has been named.

Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors confirmed Garrett was discharged from the hospital Monday. Prior to Garrett's release, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day released a statement on Garrett's condition:

Garrett, a senior, recorded 10 total tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss in 2019. He has appeared in 33 games during his Buckeyes career.

Players have remained on campus for workouts even though the Big Ten has postponed the 2020 football season amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Garrett was slated to potentially start and will be eligible for the 2021 season thanks to an NCAA rule that grants all fall athletes an extra year of eligibility.

The University of Minnesota has reached a $500,000 settlement with a woman who said multiple football players sexually assaulted her at a Dinkytown apartment on Sept. 2, 2016.

Josh Verges of the Pioneer Press provided details regarding the former undergraduate student's claims:

"The woman told authorities she was coerced into having sex with a Gopher football player and a high school recruit at a team apartment after drinking shots of vodka following the team’s first game of the season.

"Several more football players soon arrived to watch or take turns having sex with the woman against her will, she said."

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman decided against pressing charges, providing this reasoning to 5 Eyewitness News:

"The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office reviewed a case investigated and submitted by Minneapolis Police against several Minnesota Gopher Football players. Based on the evidence available, the county attorney’s office is declining to file any charges. There is insufficient, admissible evidence for prosecutors to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that either force was used or that the victim was physically helpless as defined by law in the sexual encounter. This office will have no further comment on the case."

Minnesota initially suspended 10 players indefinitely, but the school's Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action department ultimately decided on "varying levels of discipline" for that group in 2018, per Verges. 

Five players were suspended or expelled.

Per Verges, the law firm of Hutchinson Black and Cook represented the woman in this settlement. The Colorado law firm has previously reached settlements with other schools where football players have been accused of sexual assault, including Colorado, Arizona State and Florida State.

After previously postponing all fall sports until at least the end of the year, the Big Ten is reportedly considering a football schedule that would begin in late November. 

Per Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Big Ten leaders are looking into the possibility of a schedule "of at least eight games" that would start Thanksgiving week. 

Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic confirmed Potrykus' report but added a "January-ish" start date remains the focus.

According to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, Big Ten coaches and athletic directors are exploring various potential start dates, including around Thanksgiving, New Year's Day, mid-January or after Super Bowl LV. 

Bruce Feldman of FS1 and The Athletic noted conference coaches were meeting on a call and "it's a real possibility" the Big Ten attempts to reverse its initial decision and plays football in the fall. 

The Big Ten's current discussions about the 2020 season come in the aftermath of recent developments involving parents of football players and a group of Nebraska players filing a lawsuit against the conference. 

Per USA Today's Erick Smith, the lawsuit seeks to reverse the Big Ten's decision to postpone the season and receive clarity on how the conference arrived at that decision: 

"Even though its decision significantly and directly affects the rights and opportunities of student athletes at its member institutions, the Big Ten has rejected calls for transparency and refuses to provide documents supporting its claim that a vote was taken or that a proper process was followed. As a result of the failure of process, the Student Athlete Plaintiffs have been irreparably harmed."

Per ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, a "large majority of Big Ten parent associations" sent an open letter to conference leaders with the hope of having a "structured discussion" with commissioner Kevin Warren. 

The Big Ten and Pac-12 are the only Power Five conferences that have announced fall sports will be postponed until at least the start of 2021. 

Six days prior to the Big Ten's Aug. 11 announcement, the conference released a revised conference-only schedule that would have started on Sept. 5.

Teams would have played 10 games in 12 weeks, followed by the Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.