Report: Big Ten Cancels Fall Sports, Football Included
A team of Detroit Free Press reporters is breaking the inevitable news. According to their sources, the Big Ten has voted to cancel the 2020 fall sports season:
The Big Ten has voted to cancel the 2020 college football season in a historic move that stems from concerns related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, multiple people with knowledge of the decision confirmed to the Free Press.
The sources requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the decision. A formal announcement is expected to Tuesday, the sources said.
The presidents voted, 12-2, Sunday to end the fall sports in the conference. Only Nebraska and Iowa voted to play, Dan Patrick said on his radio show Monday.
The move comes two days after the Mid-American Conference became the first in the FBS to cancel ts season, and sources told the Free Press the Big Ten is trying to coordinate its announcement with other Power Five conferences.
There's no word on whether a Spring 2021 football season is under consideration, though I imagine they'll keep that possibility open until/unless it becomes totally unfeasible, much like how the leadup to this announcement has played out.
Though the Big Ten's decision evidently was already made, this news also comes on the heels of some of college football's most prominent stars releasing a joint statement about wanting to play the 2020 season—if they could be guaranteed universal safety protocols, eligibility for players opting out, and a commitment to the formation of a players association.
#WeWantToPlay pic.twitter.com/jvQhE7noGB
— Trevor Lawrence (@Trevorlawrencee) August 10, 2020
It's hard to imagine the NCAA and its conferences meeting those demands, particularly the precursor to a full-blown players union, without a serious fight. I don't think anyone has a clear idea of what the short- or long-term future of college football holds. What is clear, however, is that we're in the midst of a significant moment in the history of the sport.
UPDATE: Too much is coming in at once for new posts for everything. A statement from Jim Harbaugh is after the jump.
UPDATE UPDATE: The Big Ten denies they've made a final decision, though they're apparently meeting again today.
[Hit THE JUMP for Jim Harbaugh's statement on rumors of a canceled season.]
Statement from University of Michigan Head Football Coach Jim Harbaugh
I would like to address the rumors that are swirling today. I’m not advocating for football this fall because of my passion or our players desire to play but because of the facts accumulated over the last eight weeks since our players returned to campus on June 13. I am advocating on August 10 that this virus can be controlled and handled because of these facts:
- The Michigan football program has had 11 positive tests out of 893 administered, including three upon initial return to campus.
- We have had two positive tests out of the last 417 administered.
- We have had zero positive tests out of the last 353 administered.
- There have been zero positives tests among the coaches or staff over the entire eight weeks of testing.
- There has been no contract tracing to our fields, weight room, locker room or facility.
- We have had zero pauses in our training.
- We have complied with all CDC guidelines and self‐implemented stricter standards for contacting tracing in quarantining to prevent spread.
- We have followed all health and safety guidelines and welcome and encourage any health department, University administrators or other sports programs to visit and see how we practice and execute these protocols.
- As Darryl Conway our Chief Medical Officer and a member of the Big Ten’s Medical Advisory Group has stated, “I wish that others could see this model.”
This isn’t easy. This is hard.
It is proven that the conduct, discipline and structure within our program have led to these stellar results. We respect the challenge that the virus has presented however we will not cower from it.
We have developed a great prototype for how we can make this work and provide the opportunity for players to play. If you are transparent and follow the rules, this is how it can be done.
I am forever proud of our players, parents, coaches and staff for being leaders and role models in our sport, at our institution and in society. We will continue to follow all health and safety guidelines, teach, train, and coach those young men and their families that have put their trust in us, while advocating for a football season in the fall.
In quoting President Theodore Roosevelt, we do this “so that our place will not be among the cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
#WEWANTTOPLAY
#WEWANTTOCOACH
August 10th, 2020 at 12:43 PM ^
It's more like they're pulling their star qb in the 4th quarter in a game they're losing 70-0
August 10th, 2020 at 12:30 PM ^
Uh, somebody might want to tell Scott Frost, because Nebraska is practicing at this very moment
https://twitter.com/Sean_Callahan/status/1292859236213547008?s=19
August 10th, 2020 at 12:34 PM ^
They have some open dates, maybe they got Bama interested?
SEC!!! SEC!!! SEC!!!
Frost might be planning to shock the world?
August 10th, 2020 at 12:33 PM ^
Harbaugh's statement is great. The problem is that nobody else (well, few others) want to do things that way. Which is why you end up with Rutger, or MSU...
August 10th, 2020 at 12:38 PM ^
This, indeed, is the problem. When rumors swirling around some programs allege that players are being punished for reporting symptoms, opting out, etc., it's pretty clear that while the Michigan Football program is setting the bar for "how to do it right," it's also standing alone for the most part.
August 10th, 2020 at 1:32 PM ^
Well put. Couldn't upvote this enough. It sucks that other programs don't have the right priorities and that they can't even follow a set of protocols to protect their players, program and season. "Standing alone" is spot on. I'm pissed about the cancellation and I feel like it was the only choice but I applaud Harbaugh's efforts and his statement.
I said this in the other thread: this is the price we pay for decades of ignorance and our denial of science. This pandemic got here in January, spiked in March/April and its August now and we're still dealing with the first wave of it. Other countries - even hard hit ones - squashed their curves with sensible policy, effective leadership and collective action and went on with their lives. I guess we got what we deserve.
The whole time I thought 'at least football is so far off it won't be affected.' It sucks I was wrong.
August 10th, 2020 at 12:40 PM ^
That is my guess ... data is being collected from across the league for all sports and the results are not like Michigan is reporting for football. Once regular students are back on campus it only gets worse.
August 10th, 2020 at 12:59 PM ^
It really isn't that complicated, just follow a few best practices. Test your players regularly. Give them temperature checks every day before they enter the locker room. Send home anyone with a fever and isolate anyone who tests positive. Countless workplaces are doing things along these lines right now. But apparently it's too much for Sparty and others to understand.
Maybe they can figure it out for the spring.
At least these guys are already in college. I feel the worst for high school players who are hoping to earn a scholarship and might lose that chance.
August 10th, 2020 at 12:38 PM ^
#wewanttocoach says the man making $7.5M
How much do his players make?
August 10th, 2020 at 1:34 PM ^
They all want to play.
August 10th, 2020 at 1:52 PM ^
It might not be "all" but for Coach Harbaugh to make this kind of statement I'm sure he's had a conversation about this with the team and it is likely most of them agreed. There may or may not be some silent dissenters and that is ok. Those players should be given the right to opt out without any penalty while the players that want to take the risk should be allowed to do so.
This disease isn't going away any time soon. It is time we start learning to live with it. That means taking real steps to minimize exposure while keeping our daily lives as unaffected as we reasonably can. The NBA bubble, the UFC, and the process at Michigan seem to be working. Let them keep it going. If it starts getting out of control, shut it down.
August 10th, 2020 at 12:39 PM ^
First year since 2011 we don’t lose to OSU, that’s a plus.
August 10th, 2020 at 2:23 PM ^
There's still the Spring . . .
August 10th, 2020 at 12:41 PM ^
We all saw it coming, it was only a matter of time, the NCAA will more than likely cancel it all anyway but much much later than this
August 10th, 2020 at 12:47 PM ^
Welp. Now what?
August 10th, 2020 at 4:21 PM ^
Marble Racing!
August 10th, 2020 at 4:28 PM ^
Finally figured out embed Yay!
August 10th, 2020 at 12:52 PM ^
This is a union busting effort. Plain and simple. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if the conferences without the unity movements played after making the players sign waivers like the one OSU players signed.
August 10th, 2020 at 1:03 PM ^
I saw this coming back in March.
August 10th, 2020 at 1:48 PM ^
Congratulations.
August 10th, 2020 at 1:03 PM ^
Considering it's Freep, did the article blame UM for the decision? Or for the pandemic?
August 10th, 2020 at 1:18 PM ^
I wonder how they will handle eligibility and scholarship limits.
August 10th, 2020 at 1:29 PM ^
I hope everyone realizes that any player with a remote possibility of being selected in the NFL draft will opt out of spring football and prepare for the draft.
August 10th, 2020 at 2:24 PM ^
Goodbye half of Ohio State.
August 10th, 2020 at 1:36 PM ^
Q: What changed between last Wednesday when they announced a schedule and today (5 days)?
A:
- Not COVID
- College athletes - WHO ARE EMPLOYEES, but treated like indentured servants - came together in an indisputably reasonable way.
So the NCAA, conference official, and administrators - who's income depend on college sports - decided it was better to have a short term loss (canceling this season), than let the indentured servants we refer to as college athletes take one more step closer to organizing and getting the rights they deserve. This is why they didn't do bubbles; because that would make college athletes look too much like the employees they are, than the students the administrators pretend they are.
Grown ups go to such amazing lengths to perpetuate lies.
August 10th, 2020 at 1:39 PM ^
How is spring football for any Power 5 college realistic?
You'd have to assume at least 50 of the Day 1 or Day 2 NFL draft picks would not play, as they'd need to get ready for the draft & want to avoid injury. Plus, asking players to play 22-25 games within a calendar year seems unhealthy, if that's the focus. And there still will be virus concerns in March and April (i.e., it's not "magically going away") so other, non-draftable players would still opt-out ; while there *should* be a vaccine by then, the people who will receive it first are nurses, docs, teachers, elderly, etc -- not football players.
If the decision has been made to cancel Fall 2020 football for the B1G, these Presidents better realize football is vaporized until Fall 2021.
August 10th, 2020 at 1:47 PM ^
Coach is completely right. We're seeing it in the NBA right now and the UFC has been doing a wonderful job for months. With strict testing, distancing, and contact tracing, this can work! This CAN be done and it has been done! All we need is the will, discipline, and intelligence to execute. It is easy to give up and say that its too dangerous. And yes it is dangerous. There is no doubt that the players and coaches would be taking a risk with their health and the health of those around them, but they are adults. They have the right to choose whether or not they can play. They've earned it. Who are we to say otherwise?
August 10th, 2020 at 2:13 PM ^
How in the hell is cancelling the season going to make the players safer? The players will be on campus with the rest of the students and will be out at parties on Friday night through Sunday morning, since they will not have football. This is only going to backfire big time and more student athletes will be bringing home COVID to their parents and grand parents.
August 10th, 2020 at 2:16 PM ^
Can't wait for The (Spring) Game.
August 10th, 2020 at 2:49 PM ^
Great letter. It’s a pity the NCAA did not get its act together fast enough to make these practices a reality on every campus.
Jim is right to fight for a season and it’s the right PR move. Unfortunately, there are other people and schools involved that may not be in the same boat.
August 10th, 2020 at 2:52 PM ^
Harbaugh's statement, to me, shows really strong leadership - whether you share his opinion or not. Really proud to have him as our coach!
August 10th, 2020 at 2:56 PM ^
This is sad. It’s a dark moment for science and reasoning. Cancellation of the season is the price that we pay for having a society of sheeple incapable of critical thought, analysis, risk assessment, or rationality.
As of August 5, out of a population of about 43 million people in the USA 215 people ages 15-24 had died of Covid-19.
215 people.
Total.
Out of 43 million.
5 per million. That is the “risk” to the players. Assuming that they have average vulnerability, which they don’t. They are certainly way less when you consider that there are comorbidity risks associated with poor personal health.
The death rate for people in that same age group in auto accidents? About 150 per million — 30 times the Covid risk.
Suicide rate per million is on par with auto accidents. About 150 per million, give or take.
It’s sad that this website, which made rationality and data analysis its calling card, is now joining in with the hysteria completely, running around with both hands in the air screaming in panic.
There is no player protection taking place here. With few exceptions, there is no coach or official protection taking place either. If you play football, by far the biggest risk to tour health is the chance for a head injury or an injury that leaves you with chronic pain in your 50s. If you are a college athlete, Covid-19 is the flu for you.
Go ahead and negbang me into oblivion for posting data and facts, anonymous negbangers.
August 10th, 2020 at 3:11 PM ^
The risk isn't to the players, it to them getting it, bringing it back to their campus, and passing it around. It's like you don't know how a virus spreads. Sure, possibly minimal risk to the players, but then you get an outbreak at a college campus, which in turn spreads to the city. I mean, Don Brown is 65 years old, it isn't like the players are the only ones at risk here.
August 10th, 2020 at 3:37 PM ^
Duplicate
August 10th, 2020 at 3:40 PM ^
I’m not sure how any clear thinking unbiased person could negbang your post. Politics, divisiveness, fear, and lack of leadership all around will be analyzed for years by us and our adversaries.
August 10th, 2020 at 4:00 PM ^
Excellent non political assessment! This site has been unreadable lately, Brian wouldn’t even read the comments after a loss because of the UNACCEPTABLE! Crowd screaming their opinions.
I always waited for Brian’s rational analysis after he went over the tape, He also made deep dives Into the numbers and stats. When it was all done we knew where things went wrong. Was the O-line crap or was it the game plan? Well, after the Army game we found out it was the game plan.
There were no opinions without video, stats and analytics. That’s why I loved this site. We have lost our perspective.
I come here for the deep dives about what is actually happening at Michigan football not the shallow analysis that I can hear from the color commentators on TV
I used to come here for some sanity
This same approach Applied to other questions works as well
August 10th, 2020 at 4:22 PM ^
Completely stupid post. What an idiot you are. Hundreds of thousands have died.
August 10th, 2020 at 9:27 PM ^
According to the National Institute for Health ((NIH), around 650,000 people die from respiratory issues due to the flu virus annually. Covid-19 is a flu virus and this country’s response/actions with respect to it has/have been insane. ‘Merica...got to love it.
August 10th, 2020 at 3:07 PM ^
Not having a concise plan from the start is to blame for this. Whether it is Trump or the NCAA, the complete lack of leadership and letting states and conferences fend for themselves has been a detriment to the country and college sports. Isn't the Federal Government and the NCAA around to be the larger governing bodies? How stupid is it to have different conferences coming up with different standards and ideas when they should all be unified working together to do what is best for EVERYONE. It just blows my mind that we have these organizations and a Federal Government whose purpose, among other things, is to oversee the country, and yet, they both just passed the buck and left conferences and states to look around at each other, shrug, and let them try to come up with their own plans. What the fuck is the point of the NCAA if not to help oversee and unify everyone toward the same goal of doing what is needed, across the board, to make sure college sports would be safe to play in the fall?
August 10th, 2020 at 3:55 PM ^
hope NFL shifts half the games to Saturday.... I would happily give up 2 years of NFL to not miss a college season, but in this situation at least some football on Saturday is better than nothing
August 10th, 2020 at 4:12 PM ^
Any chance M and OSU go rogue and continue to play ? Sounds like the SEC will.
August 10th, 2020 at 4:23 PM ^
JH has an interesting approach here. Are student athletes safer if they do have a season? Might be a strong argument and is probably true. It’s not like if the season is cancelled college kids are just going to self-quarantine for a semester.
August 10th, 2020 at 5:13 PM ^
The federal government has had almost a half of a year to come up with a comprehensive plan, testing strategy, and encourage all Americans to take this virus seriously. There is absolutely a failure to lead starting with Trump. He is a failure and I blame him for not being able to watch college football this fall. I am still waiting for his leadership. Unfortunately, he cannot just file bankruptcy with Covid-19. With any other president, Republican or Democrat, we would be in a much, much better position right now as it relates to this virus. Trump is a failure.
August 10th, 2020 at 9:02 PM ^
Trump was following the guidelines of the fools/liars like Fauci. He was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t...just like they wanted it. A bit ago an individual posted news on this website concerning how Sweden’s approach to the virus had been a colossal failure. Wrong! Sweden’s approach has proven to be the correct one. For all intents and purposes the virus “pandemic” in Sweden is over.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2020/08/lockdowns_never_again_…
August 10th, 2020 at 5:19 PM ^
So.....14 weeks of Neb vs Iowa?
August 10th, 2020 at 5:49 PM ^
The thought of a spring season is monumentally stupid. A watered down season where many kids won’t play and nothing to play for is not a good move and that would spill over to the fall 21’ with no off season. The level of play would be sub par at best, and player safety would be a way bigger concern than with covid. Really the thought is just idiotic. It’s probably all moot anyways the virus will be here in late January when camp would have to start, an available vaccine is not happening that soon
August 10th, 2020 at 6:08 PM ^
I'm sure some B10/university admins supported the shutdown of football for craven reasons.
But I would like to think that for President Schlissel it was at least in part of matter of principle (if all in-person extra-curriculars are cancelled, CFB shouldn't be excepted just for financial reasons). I'm sure there was external pressures to continue CFB (although pressure to cancel for sure).
Should in-person extra-curriculars be allowed? Well, taking a 1 year hiatus until we know better how university life works seems like a defensible position... again, maybe unrealistic to think that CFB is like any other student activity... but maybe it should be in the end?
August 10th, 2020 at 8:54 PM ^
All due to one of the biggest scams of all time. ‘Merica, got to love it.
August 10th, 2020 at 9:16 PM ^
Well, at least the Michigan football team won’t lose to The Ohio State football team in 2020...the streak is broken!
August 10th, 2020 at 10:51 PM ^
American Exceptionalism, “We’re #1”, etc....blah...SMFH!
I’m so effing mad that a big chunk of my fellow Americans and our federal so-called “leadership” continue to PUNT on COVID, and now we can’t have nice things, like college football, international travel, in-classroom school, live music, indoor restaurants, just to name a few!
And yet across the pond, Europe smoothly resumed playing professional sports ten weeks ago, including all of the soccer leagues, which were all able to complete their seasons and now are preparing to start the next season in a few weeks. No COVID shutdowns whatsoever, despite their teams consisting of players from all over the world. So why can they get it done but we CAN’T?
FREEDUMB!!
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