Patrick Norton

The Big Ten ensured the world on Wednesday night there would be no fall sports in 2020. The conference has no plans to overturn its sport-altering decision, cancelling all fall sports competition in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The conference confirmed their stance and doubled down in stating they would not readdress the issue further.

Why now?

This response comes days after Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields created an online petition to reevaluate the conference’s decision to shut down. Fields, speaking on behalf of a large portion of Big Ten football players, requested the reinstatement of the 2020 football season. The Heisman finalist begged for the allowance of schools to “make their own choice as to whether they wish to play or opt out this fall season.”

Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren in a letter published Wednesday expressed a shared disappointment in the season’s cancellation, particularly in mentioning the “enormous adverse financial implications.” But above all, Warren emphasized the safety and health of the conference’s student-athletes:

As we expand upon a plan to allow our student-athletes to compete as soon as it is safe to do so, we will keep our focus on creating protocols and standard set forth and established by our medical advisors that are responsive to the medical concerns evaluated by our COP/C (Council of Presidents and Chancellors).


Kevin Warren, Big Ten Commissioner

Not Just Big Ten Football…

Football isn’t the only sport effected by the conference’s decision to shut down competition on August 11th. In addition to the conference’s money generator, men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball received the axe. The Big Ten consistently produces top ranked volleyball programs, namely Wisconsin, Minnesota and Nebraska.

The Big Ten’s decision, while hard to swallow, truly accounts for player safety in the highest regard. While the Pac-12 remains the only other power five conference to announce cancellation of fall athletics, it’s genuinely tough to picture a season taking place between the SEC, Big 12 and ACC.

It appears we’ve reached an impasse between the remaining three conferences and the rest of the NCAA. Maybe tonight’s statement and reasoning from the Big Ten provides insight and influence to the rest of college football.