Big Ten football season is officially done, hopes linger for spring season

There will not be a Big Ten football season in the fall but the hope remains a spring season can take place.

In news that will be a bitter disappointment to college football fans everywhere, the Big Ten became the first Power 5 league to officially cancel its college football season. The news came just hours after sources told the Dan Patrick Show that the Big Ten and Pac-12 would cancel their seasons by Tuesday.

There is no word yet from the other Power 5 leagues, although there had been buzz that the Big 10 was going to try and present a unified front with the other leagues in regards to the sport. 12 of the Big Ten’s 14 presidents voted against having a football season, with Iowa and Nebraska serving as the lone holdouts.

What conferences might follow the Big Ten in canceling their season?

There is still the possibility that the Big Ten could look to play football in the spring, an idea that Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren has endorsed, but a lot is still up in the air with the uncertain nature of attempting to play sports in the coronavirus pandemic. The move also could draw a response from a group of college football players led by Trevor Lawrence who has vocally requested that the season be played.

It will also be interesting to see what happens if any of the Power 5 conferences, such as the SEC, opt to play on without the Big Ten. Most football-playing conferences are only scheduling conference games, so the SEC could theoretically choose to operate independently of the Big 10 in that regard.

It also raises questions about the validity of the College Football Playoff without one of the biggest conferences in the country. The CFP is outside of the NCAA’s purview so it may still be able to operate even if the NCAA cancels fall championships through the participation of the ACC, SEC and Big 12.