Texas football coach Tom Herman comments on Big 12 plans to play

Texas football coach Tom Herman was “very hopeful” Big 12 would come to this decision. 

On Tuesday night, after a meeting between the conference’s board of directors, the Big 12 announced that they plan to move forward with playing a fall football season. This will come as a relief to many in the sports world, including Texas football head coach Tom Herman, who was vocal in his support of a fall season.

“I had been very hopeful the Big 12 would come to this decision,” Herman said. “We understand all the health and safety challenges and appreciate everything our medical team is doing here, but probably the worst thing about all of this has been the uncertainty. It has been very hard on our players mentally.”

Herman praised the conference for committing to exploring every possible way that the fall season can be played safely. “I think that gives them a lot of pride,” Herman said, speaking of his players. “It gives them a lot of confidence that, if they come out here and do what they’re supposed to do, they’re going to get to play this great game that they love.”

The University of Texas reported 17 cases across five sports teams when the athletes were brought back to campus. An additional ten cases have been reported among student-athletes since then.

What did the Big 12 say in their announcement?

The Big 12 is committed to moving forward with the fall season, but they have assured players, staff, and fans that they are taking every precaution.

“Our student-athletes want to compete, and it is the board’s collective opinion that sports can be conducted safely and in concert with the best interests of their-well being,” Big 12 board of directors chairman Victor Boschini said in a statement. “We remain vigilant in monitoring the trends and effects of COVID 19 as we learn more about the virus. If at any point our scientists and doctors conclude that our institutions cannot provide a safe and appropriate environment for our participants, we will change course.”

The Big 12 announcement leaves three out of the five Power 5 conferences playing fall football, with the PAC-12 and the Big 10 opting out. The AAC has said they will play as well, along with independent schools such as Army, BYU and Liberty.

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