A month after postponing the 2020 fall football season, the Big Ten has announced that they have approved new guidelines to resume the football starting October 24th.
It has been teased for a couple of weeks but Big Ten Football is officially back. After weeks of speculation, reports from various sources, and much criticism the conference has released its new procedures.
According to Wisconsin Chancellor, Rebecca Blank, the original decision to postpone stemmed from the conference’s inability to test for COVID-19. That paired with, concerns about lifelong heart issues caused by the virus also doomed the conference. In today’s announcement, they stated that all personal related to the teams will undergo daily COVID-19 testing along with daily cardiac screenings.
Any athlete who tests positive for the virus must undergo comprehensive cardiac testing. Including labs, biomarkers, ECG, Echocardiogram, and a cardiac MRI. Lastly, athletes must then receive clearance from a cardiologist before returning to play. The earliest an athlete may return after a positive test is 21 days.
This decision was first reported by a man many have come to know as Sir Yacht. Media outlets such as ESPN and Sports Illustrated confirmed the reports. There still remains uncertainty as to how the season will play out. The important thing now is that Big Ten football is back.