T
here may finally be some
clarity
surrounding
college football.
After a meeting on
Tuesday morning, Big
Ten Presidents and Chancellors voted to
postpone fall sports.
“The mental and physical health and
welfare of our student-athletes has been
at the center of every decision we have
made regarding the ability to proceed
forward,” Big Ten Commissioner Kevin
Warren said. “As time progressed and
after hours of discussion with our Big
Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious
Diseases and the Big Ten Sports Medicine
Committee, it became abundantly clear
that there was too much uncertainty
regarding potential medical risks to
allow our student-athletes to compete
this fall.”
Men’s
and
women’s
soccer
and
cross country, field hockey, volleyball
and football will all be affected by the
decision.
The unprecedented move comes in
times dominated by confusion. The
decision was made a day after the Big Ten
refuted multiple reports that the college
Presidents of the conference voted to
cancel fall athletics over the weekend.
Reports are that the PAC-12 will follow
the Big Ten’s path and postpone its
season, with hopes of a Spring season for
the sports affected.
“For the second time in five months,
the Big Ten Conference made the
unfortunate but necessary decision to
postpone an athletic season in order to
protect the health and well-being of our
student-athletes, staff, and community
members,” Michigan athletic directory
Warde Manuel said in a release Tuesday.
“As a result, all fall sport schedules have
been postponed. This latest decision was
reached after careful consideration and
the grim knowledge that this pandemic
continues
to
affect
our
country
adversely. I am deeply saddened for our
student-athletes and remain committed
to our ongoing promise to provide them
with a world-class education. We remain
grateful to our global Michigan family
for their unwavering support.”
The decision to cancel contradicts the
wishes of its players and coaches, who
took to Twitter Sunday to tweet support
for playing football. Jim Harbaugh on
Monday released a statement in support
of playing football, saying his program
has been able to limit the spread of
COVID-19. Nebraska coach Scott Frost
said Nebraska will explore every option
to play football, even if the Big Ten votes
to cancel.
“Our football team, our coaching staff,
our support stadd in Schembechler Hall
have all stepped up, followed every rule,
and done everything in their power
magnificently to give all the opportunity
to compete,” Harbaugh’s new statement
on Tuesday said. “I am extremely
proud, thankful and appreciative of
our team and how they have conducted
and represented our program and
university.”
A spokesperson for the football
team told The Daily that the team will
continue to hold voluntary practices,
meetings and strength and conditioning
for 20 hours per week, including practice
on Tuesday. The statement released by
athletic director Warde Manuel says that
all athletic activities will be suspended
immediately, including practices. The
Daily was told that line will change
on the announcement, as the Big Ten
cleared Michigan to work under the
20-hour rule.
University President Mark Schlissel
released
a
statement
on
Twitter
supporting the decision to postpone, in
contrast with Harbaugh.
“I fully support the difficult Big
Ten decision to postpone fall athletics
competition,” Schlissel wrote. “There are
too many poorly understood health and
safety concerns unique to intercollegiate
athletics to move forward with practices
and competition at present -- and the
impact of extreme physical exertion on
the health risk of COVID-19 has not been
well-assessed.
“I join athletic director Warde Manuel
and everyone at Michigan Athletics
in expressing my empathy to all who
were looking forward to competing,
coaching,
supporting
and
cheering
us on as members of the Wolverine
family. I particularly feel badly for our
student-athletes who gain so much from
participation in their sports and are
such outstanding representatives of the
university. We will work hard to return
them safely to competition.”
The delay gives both America and
colleges time to contain the spread of the
virus and adjust to the return of students,
one of the biggest hurdles that still faces
colleges trying to return safely and
educate its students. In order for there to
be sports, first the student population on
campus must be healthy and the Big Ten
needs to know the impact that students
have on the numbers of COVID-19 cases.
“While I know our decision today will
be disappointing in many ways for our
thousands of student-athletes and their
families,” Warren said, “I am heartened
and inspired by their resilience, their
insightful and discerning thoughts,
and their participation through our
conversations to this point. Everyone
associated with the Big Ten Conference
and its member institutions is committed
to getting everyone back to competition
as soon as it is safe to do so.”
Time, right now, is all the Big Ten
has that can make the possibility of any
sports a reality, something that schools
across the country have been trying to
get more of throughout the summer as
the decision has been delayed time and
time again. Now, it has until spring to
make a the final decision.
Nicholas
Stoll
and
Emma
Stein
contributed to the reporting of this story.
KENT SCHWARTZ
Summer Managing Sports Editor
Becca Mahon / Daily
File Photo / Daily
THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2020 | ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-NINE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM | MICHIGANDAILY.COM
INDEX
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OPINION ..................................................................
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Vol. CXXIX, No. 126
© 2020 The Michigan Daily
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Big Ten votes to postpone
Fall sports season
Decision reached following multiple
days of speculation