Big Ten could vote on football future as soon as tomorrow

The Big Ten will likely vote for a return to play plan on Monday, or the next day, or the next day, or…

Ever since the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States, we’ve seen college football conferences take different approaches in regard to the status of their seasons. The ACC and Big 12 kicked off this past Saturday, the SEC beginning on Sept. 26 and the Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences postponing their seasons altogether. The Big Ten originally voted to reschedule their season until the spring, but the decision has been met with much backlash inside the conference.

On Saturday evening, reports indicated that the Big Ten could vote on a return-to-play plan as early as Sunday. The vote did not happen, but Bruce Feldman of The Athletic reports that the vote “may take place” on Monday.

Big Ten chancellors met over the past two days

On Saturday, a group of eight conference chancellors met to discuss the medical information regarding the ramifications of playing while COVID-19 is spreading throughout the nation. On Sunday, the meeting was set to focus on when and how the respective football programs can return. The rumored start date could come as early as Oct. 17, but it’s unknown if all 14 presidents will agree on a date that early.

Back in August, the Big Ten voted 11-3 in favor of postponing the football season into the spring. The three schools to vote for the season to resume as scheduled in the fall were Ohio State, Nebraska and Iowa.

The main factor in the Big Ten changing course was the advancement in rapid COVID-19 testing. Additionally, there was pushback from the parents of Big Ten football players who were adamant on the season taking place in the fall. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day wrote a scathing letter to the Big Ten for their postponement of the 2020 campaign.

President Donald Trump also intervened, as he spoke with Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren last week, pleading for the season to commence. But many view Trump’s incessant pleas for football as a way to gain support in crucial swing states in the Nov. 3 presidential election, especially considering he hasn’t spoken to the Pac-12 once. He certainly didn’t help his case by boisterously claiming that football players won’t get affected by the virus.

Even if the latest vote calls for a fall season, schools can still opt out of the season if they don’t feel comfortable about playing during the ongoing global pandemic. Whatever the case may be, we should get a definite answer about the Big Ten season in the coming days.

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