Big Ten Football

Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, who was a star wide receiver at Ohio State, believes the Big Ten would be making a mistake if it canceled college football for the fall season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gonzalez spoke to USA Today's Steve Berkowitz about the matter:

"I learned more in that college football environment than I did in any classroom or in any other environment that I've ever been in, and I know that I'm not alone in that. So, to take that opportunity away from these kids, many of whom come from some of the most difficult backgrounds that this country has to offer, I think is catastrophic for them. ...

"The risk is obviously there. But I think that if you're in an environment where coaches want to coach, players want to play and parents of players want their kids to play that, at the very least, you need to create the option."

Dan Patrick reported on his radio show that the Big Ten and Pac-12 were planning to announce a cancellation Tuesday, with the ACC and Big 12 still weighing the decision.

However, Cleveland.com's Nathan Baird reported Ohio State President Kristina M. Johnson would be against the plan if it were brought to a vote Monday.

Nebraska head coach Scott Frost and Ohio State head coach Ryan Day floated the idea their respective teams could leave the Big Ten temporarily in order to play this fall.

Penn State head coach James Franklin issued a statement asking administrators to continue taking time to fully examine the situation before making a final call:

Meanwhile, some players, including Buckeyes star Justin Fields, signaled their desire to play while listing a number of demands they'd like to see met before a season kicks off:

Sports leagues have shown the utility of setting up a dedicated bubble to stage games in terms of limiting the spread of the coronavirus. That would potentially open a Pandora's box for the NCAA and university administrators, though, since it could upend the amateurism model.

According to ESPN's Paula Lavigne and Mark Schlabach, "at least five" athletes from the Big Ten and some athletes from other conferences have developed myocarditis, a heart condition that is believed to be linked to COVID-19.

The report underscored the health risk to athletes no matter what steps universities take to set up health and safety protocols.

Penn State head coach James Franklin issued a statement calling for the Big Ten to "consider all possibilities to preserve college football this fall."

Franklin said he'd be willing to accept a delay to the start of the regular season to "seek clarity, build the safest environment for our guys & make the best decision!"

His comments come as the fate of a fall football season looks to be in question amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Detroit Free Press Orion Sang, David Jesse, Chris Solari and Chris Thomas reported the Big Ten is planning to cancel the season with the potential for resuming football in the spring.

Franklin didn't go so far as some of his colleagues did to imply Penn State might consider playing for a different conference if the Big Ten took football off the table in 2020.

The big question seems to be whether the NCAA and its member schools would be willing to jeopardize the long-term viability of the amateurism model by staging a 2020 college football season.

The Mid-American Conference and Mountain West both postponed sports through the fall, and they may not be the last to take that step.

The Power Five conferences have all altered their schedules to account for the pandemic, though, either eliminating nonconference games altogether or allowing their schools to stage games out of the conference.

By setting up designated bubbles, Power Five officials could closely monitor players and coaches while limiting their access to the outside world. While not ideal, multiple leagues in the United States have shown the approach can work to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

That would seemingly be an admission that college athletes are a special class relative to their peers, however, thus potentially opening the floodgates.

Fans want to see football, and at least some players want to play as long as administrators put the necessary health and safety protocols into place.

The ball appears to be in the court of conference power brokers.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day wouldn't rule out the idea of the Buckeyes leaving the Big Ten for the 2020 season should the conference cancel or postpone the 2020 fall college football season. 

Day said Monday on College Football Live that "we need to look at every option" when asked about temporarily joining another Power Five conference:

The Big Ten has already adopted a conference-only scheduling format. The Detroit Free Press' Orion Sang, David Jesse, Chris Solari and Chris Thomas reported the conference will cancel a fall football season altogether.

Cleveland.com's Nathan Baird reported Ohio State President Kristina M. Johnson would vote against canceling the season if the matter is brought to a vote Monday.

Nebraska head coach Scott Frost said Monday in a press conference the school is "committed to playing no matter what, no matter what that looks like and how that looks," alluding to a possible move away from the Big Ten.

During his radio show on Monday, Dan Patrick echoed the Free Press report and added that the Pac-12 is planning to announce a cancellation. The ACC and Big 12 remain undecided:

Finding a new conference is one obvious hurdle in front of Ohio State, Nebraska and any other school that might consider realigning for 2020 in order to play football. If one or more Power Five conference wipes out the season, the holdouts might have a difficult time justifying continuing to play without significantly damaging the NCAA's position that college athletes are amateurs.

Setting up a bubble to house a limited number of programs is the most straightforward solution since multiple leagues in the United States have shown the approach can significantly curtail the spread of the coronavirus.

Some would argue the stratified landscape is already ripe for Power Five conferences to separate themselves from the rest of the Football Bowl Subdivision.

The pandemic might hasten what already feels inevitable, thus potentially altering college football in ways that would have ripple effects for years to come.

Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Scott Frost told reporters the team would explore other options to play in 2020 if the Big Ten cancels the season.

The Detroit Free Press reported Monday that 12 of the Big Ten's 14 schools voted to cancel the season, with Nebraska and Iowa the lone dissenters, though the conference has denied that any such vote took place. 

Frost also argued Nebraska would lose substantial money if the season was canceled and said he believes the players would be safer within the football program than away from it:

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence made a similar argument regarding player safety, though it's fair to question if a football program with hundreds of players, coaches and staff members—traveling around the country—would in fact remain medically responsible once the school year resumed:

Frost wasn't the only Big Ten coach to advocate for the season being held Monday:

Monday's report that the Big Ten might cancel its college football season sent shockwaves around the sport, and it remains possible that other conferences could follow suit.

Even some professional sports that have the full array of resources to ensure a safe return to play have already experienced issues. While the NBA, NHL and MLS have resumed game action with minimal to no positive cases in recent testing cycles, Major League Baseball has seen the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals experience inter-organizational outbreaks that have forced a number of game postponements. 

Further, athletes in those sports who choose to play are making hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars to do so. Asking unpaid college athletes to take on any potential medical risks is far more ethically dubious. 

The NCAA has reportedly approved a transfer waiver from quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa to complete his move from Alabama to Maryland.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the update Friday and noted Tagovailoa, the brother of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, will be eligible to play immediately for the Terrapins.

He announced his intention to transfer in May with a statement on Twitter:

His father, Galu, provided further details about the decision to Matt Zenitz of AL.com, saying the coronavirus pandemic would have prevented his son from competing for playing time with the Crimson Tide:

"It's really tough and it's nothing against Alabama. But my boys are competitive and Lia is such a competitive kid. And he wanted an opportunity to compete. He was told that he was going to come in and compete and he didn't really get that opportunity, so he wanted to use the spring to do that. But with the COVID-19 thing going on, he didn't really have the opportunity to compete. He's a competitor. He likes to work. He likes to compete on the field. And just, going into the season this year, he just felt that he wasn't given that opportunity and he wants to take it somewhere where they're going to give him the opportunity to make the best of his skill set."

Alabama's QB depth chart is led by Mac Jones, who filled in after Tagovailoa's brother suffered a season-ending hip injury last year before leaving for the NFL, and also features Bryce Young, a 5-star prospect from the 2020 recruiting class.

It would have made it difficult for Tagovailoa to earn consistent playing time.

Instead, he could have the inside track on the Terps' starting job after Josh Jackson, last year's starter, opted out of the 2020 season because of the pandemic.

Tagovailoa and Lance LeGendre, a redshirt freshman who appeared in three games in 2019, are the top contenders to take over for Jackson.

Maryland is slated to open the revamped 2020 campaign, which will feature a 10-game, conference-only schedule for Big Ten teams, Sept. 5 with a road game against Iowa.

Ohio State student-athletes released a statement Friday saying the "Big Ten Unity Proposal" posted Wednesday on The Players' Tribune in coordination with the College Athlete Unity organization isn't a direct representation of their views. 

Jonathon Cooper, a member of OSU's football team, posted the Buckeyes' full statement:

The unity proposal, which was authored by "Players of the Big Ten" and said it represented "over 1,000 Big Ten football players," was a 24-point plan focused on safety protocols and player protections if fall sports occur in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"We have started a dialogue in good faith with the Big Ten and hope that the NCAA will follow suit," the players said. "Given the short time frame, and with our season at stake, this conversation must happen now."

It came after the Big Ten announced its plans for the college football season, which is set to feature a 10-game, conference-only schedule beginning in early September.

The NCAA Board of Governors also laid out a set of guidelines for conferences to follow to decide whether to move forward with fall sports, which addressed some of the concerns raised by the Big Ten post and a similar one Sunday from Pac-12 players on The Players' Tribune.

A final decision about fall sports is due to the NCAA by Aug. 21. Any sport in which more than 50 percent of eligible teams cancel their season won't award a national title this season.

The Buckeyes' football team was ranked No. 2 in the country in the preseason USA Today Amway Coaches Poll released Thursday. They received 17 first-place votes and ranked behind only Clemson.

Ohio State is scheduled to open the season Sept. 3 on the road against Illinois if the season moves forward.

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott tweeted "Snitches get stitches" in response to a tweet from ESPN's Field Yates that referenced Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh accusing Ohio State of cheating in a coaches' conference call:

Elliott played at Ohio State from 2013 to 2015.

ESPN's Mark Schlabach outlined the incident that prompted Elliott's reaction:

"During a conference call among Big Ten coaches on Monday, Michigan's Jim Harbaugh reportedly interrupted Ohio State's Ryan Day and accused the Buckeyes of breaking rules regarding on-field instruction.

"Harbaugh asked Day about a photo that purportedly showed Buckeyes assistant Al Washington working with Ohio State's linebackers. NCAA rules don't permit on-field instruction until Friday."

Day then told Harbaugh, per Bucknuts.com (h/t Schlabach) the following: "How about I worry about my team and you worry about yours?"

Following the meeting, Day reportedly told his team Monday that Michigan had better hope there is a mercy rule when the two teams play, as he said the Buckeyes were "going to hang 100 on them."

Ohio State and Michigan are scheduled to face off on Oct. 24 in Columbus, Ohio. OSU has won eight straight versus Michigan and 15 of the last 16. Harbaugh is 0-5 in the series as a head coach, and the Wolverines have given up 118 points in the last two editions of The Game. 

As if the rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State wasn't intense enough, Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day now wants his team to run all over the Wolverines thanks to comments from Jim Harbaugh.

It all started after Dave Biddle of Bucknuts (h/t Riley Gates of 247Sports) reported on Monday that Harbaugh accused the Buckeyes of violating NCAA rules by having coaches provide on-field instruction to players this summer, which isn't permitted until Friday. 

The incident reportedly took place during a Big Ten coaches conference call, with Biddle noting that Harbaugh interrupted Day to make the accusation. 

Biddle reported that Day spoke to his players on a call afterward, telling them to "hang 100 [points] on" the Wolverines when the two teams play this season. 

ESPN's Mark Schlabach cited a source who confirmed that Day did, in fact, tell his team to put up 100 against Michigan. 

Harbaugh's attempts at mind games are about the only thing he has left to play. He's gone 0-5 as Michigan's head coach against the Buckeyes and has been outscored 118-66 in the past two years. 

Michigan and Ohio State will renew their rivalry on Oct. 24 at the Horseshoe in Columbus. 

It's now official: Micah Parsons will not play for Penn State during the 2020 season.

The All-American linebacker and projected first-round pick will sit out the season and prepare for the 2021 NFL draft, he announced Thursday.

"While I felt safe with the health and safety standards as we returned to Penn State for workouts, the potential risk to the health and well-being of my son far outweighed my urge to play football this season," Parsons said in a video for PennLive. 

Parsons said he "100 percent" would have returned to Penn State if it weren't for the pandemic. 

"It was the hardest decision I ever had to make," he said. "It left me lost a lot of days, where I just couldn't make a decision what I wanted to do."

Parsons said he consulted with LaVar Arrington and defensive coordinator Brent Pry the most when making his decision, which became easier when teammates said they would support him either way. 

"When you have a son, your whole world changes—a kid in general, son or a girl. I really thought about him because, as I was growing up, I never really had much. And now I have this great opportunity to work hard and me to really give him the life that I never had. It's just so hard for me to pass it up. ... Now I'm in a great position to expand my son's life and give him the education, the life I never received growing up."

Parsons recorded 109 tackles and five sacks in 2019, earning Big Ten Linebacker of the Year honors, along with first-team All-American and All-Big Ten selections. Pro Football Focus ranks Parsons as the fifth-best player in the 2021 class, and he's a borderline lock to be a top-10 selection in next year's draft.

While Penn State's defense will undoubtedly be hurt by Parsons' absence, he had little incentive to play in the 2020 season given the ongoing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. It's unlikely his draft stock will rise any higher than it is now.

Don't be surprised if several other top prospects follow in Parsons' footsteps. 

University of Maryland head coach Michael Locksley announced Thursday he's formed the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches, a nonprofit organization aimed at helping minority coaches have a path toward upward mobility within the profession.

Locksley, 50, discussed his motivation with Jim Trotter of NFL.com.

"When I took the Maryland job last year and looked at the landscape of college football, I thought to myself, 'There's something missing. I'm on the back nine of my career and the pathway to becoming a head coach is still as difficult as when I got into the business in 1992,'" he said. "I wanted to create an organization that would be able to help prepare, promote and produce the next group of coaches coming up through the ranks at every level."

Locksley has brought in an experienced, high-profile group of coaches and executives to serve on the NCMFC board of directors:

• Bill Polian
• Chris Grier
• Debbie Yow
• Desiree Reed-Francois
• Doug Williams
• Mike Tomlin
• Nick Saban
• Oliver "Buddy" Pough
• Ozzie Newsome
• Rick Smith
• Willie Jeffries

The Terrapins' coach told Trotter he's going to work with them to show NFL teams and college programs there is no shortage of minority coaches who deserve an opportunity:

"These are all people that have either hired head coaches or coordinators or filled upper-level positions throughout their careers. They all have been at the top of the mountain, per se, in their respective areas, whether winning Super Bowls or national championships or being pioneers, like Debbie Yow and Willie Jeffries. We want to use their experiences to help us formulate and produce the list of qualified candidates, so when people say there aren't enough minorities to fill the positions that have come open over the years, we're going to produce a list of qualified people that shows there are qualified people. What's needed is opportunities."

There are only three Black head coaches in the 32-team NFL and 14 Black head coaches at the 130 FBS college football programs heading into the 2020 season, per Trotter.

"The NCMFC will remove the roadblocks to coaching opportunities for minorities through innovative programming, networking and first-of-its-kind promotion strategies," the organization's official website reads.

In January, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league understood changes were necessary.

"Clearly, we are not where we want to be," he told reporters. "It's clear we need to change and do something different. There's no reason to expect a different outcome next year without changes."

Locksley told Trotter his group isn't looking to overtake the Fritz Pollard Alliance Foundation, another group created to help minority coaches in the NFL, but rather work in lockstep with all organizations trying to promote the advancement of Black coaches at all levels of football.

He expects the NCMFC will be fully operational with an initial list of candidates in four or five months, which would put those people in line for consideration during the 2021 coaching cycle.