Big Ten Considering Alternative Fall Plans, But Will Need Presidents to Sign Off

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

The early August decision by the Big Ten to cancel fall sports and attempt a spring football season came under immediate and intense scrutiny. The pressure and criticism on the conference has continued to build during the past couple of weeks as the start dates for the ACC, Big 12, SEC and AAC nears and the league is now considering alternative options that could give the conference some sort of fall season after all.

Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel first reported on the plan proposed by the Big Ten coaches that would have league schools beginning on Thanksgiving weekend and playing anywhere from eight to ten or eleven games. This information comes despite new Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren’s recent insistence that the Big Ten has no intention of revisiting fall football in 2020.

The potential change in the league’s thinking could be due to the Federal Drug Administration recently granting emergency approval for a rapid antigen test that would provide 15-minute turnaround for COVID tests. If these tests prove to be accurate and attainable on a mass scale, it could be the massive medical change the league would need to justify changing course.

The Thanksgiving start, while much more ideal than no football or a season that started in January, would still prevent major issues. The league could get in games to determine a league champion but they would be playing regular season contests while the rest of the country is deciding playoff teams and who will be the national champion. The prospect of an unbeaten Ohio State squad not getting a shot at anything beyond a league title is likely not something the league wants to see.

Ultimately, this is just one proposal that is under consideration and it is unclear if the Big Ten would even have access to enough Midwest domed stadiums to make the schedule feasible. Big Ten university presidents will be the people responsible for making the final call on how the league will proceed. Hoosier Huddle will continue to monitor this ongoing story.