Nebraska president on hot mic: Big Ten announcement coming Tuesday

An announcement on the fate of the Big Ten football season is expected to come tonight. But what that decision will remain a mystery, but fans are optimistic nonetheless.

In the latest chapter of “As the Big Ten turns” there appears to be some clarity into what the next step will be for the conference that postponed football indefinitely. After reports over the weekend that a new vote about the league’s return to play could be happening at any minute, now it appears that the minute is forthcoming.

University of Nebraska President Ted Carter was caught on a hot mic, according to KETV, saying an announcement of the Husker football season will come Tuesday afternoon or evening.

“We’re getting ready to announce the Huskers and Big Ten football tonight”, said Carter in a conversation with Bob Hinson, director of the National Strategic Research Institute.

The report doesn’t say what the announcement will be.

A decision from the Big Ten could mean the football season starts in mid-October and keeps the dream alive of earning a berth in the College Football Playoff

An announcement could be the Big Ten voted to stay the course and continue waiting this out as they gather more information about testing, availability and reliability of testing, contact tracing and the long-term effects of the coronavirus, including myocarditis.

Those are all reasons for the Big Ten’s decision to postpone football. And the larger question could be, what’s changed since then that would allow the presidents who voted against playing to now vote to play.

While politicial pressure from President Donald Trump and local politicians has been apparent and frustration and anger from players, coaches, parents of players and thousands and thousands of Big Ten fans on social media has reached a boiling point, university presidents ultimately decide what happens next.

Big Ten football fans are surely hoping the announcement will mean they get to watch their favorite football team playing in October, which would conceivably keep the door open for a team like Ohio State to compete for a College Football Playoff berth.

The prospect of starting any later would eliminate that possibility. The chances of a spring Rose Bowl between the Big Ten and Pac-12 has been floated as a spring “championship” of sorts, but that’s far from the ideal outcome for the Big Ten.

So now, we wait to see what the 14 university presidents decide with their vote and when fans will get their football. No matter the outcome, expect people will be upset one way or the other.