There 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.
MARISSA MCCLAIN/Daily
Following a presidents’ meeting, the Big Ten conference voted to postpone fall sports earlier this month.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Monday, August 31, 2020 — 19
Big Ten postpones fall sports season
KENT SCHWARTZ
Summer Managing Sports Editor
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