10 questions about Big Ten football’s return

10 questions about Big Ten football’s return


Football during a pandemic means more than near-empty stands and individually marked water bottles, writes Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune. Here are 10 key questions that remain after the news that the Big Ten season will open Oct. 23-24. A locked section of fencing around the Michigan State football practice field on the campus in East Lansing, Michigan, on August 10, 2020.


What will the schedule look like?


Each team will play at least eight games — six in division and two crossovers to be determined. Teams will play two of the three crossover opponents on their original schedules. The weekend of Dec. 19 will feature the championship game at a site to be determined. The other 12 teams also will have the “opportunity” to face one another that weekend, as Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez put it. The games would pit No. 2 from the West versus No. 2 from the East, 3 versus 3, etc. Ohio State football parent Candace Wilson speaks during a news conference asking for more transparency and communication by the Big Ten outside of their headquarters in Rosemont on Friday, Aug. 21, 2020.


When will the schedule be released?


In the next several days. The Big Ten is negotiating with its TV partners, and Alvarez said Fox Sports has asked about Friday games. Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips said any teams asked to play on short weeks would not have a disadvantage against other opponents. There will be no weeks off. Minnesota Gophers quarterback Tanner Morgan (2) threw the ball in the second quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019 at Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois.


When will teams begin practice?


Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald put it like this during a video call: “Tomorrow morning. 8 a.m. Air in our helmets.” Northwestern will have only non-contact practices until the Big Ten delivers the machines that will allow for daily rapid antigen testing, expected by Sept. 30. But schools have leeway and are allowed to have players in pads. In a 2016 game, Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald calls a play in the fourth quarter against Wisconsin at Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois.


Was the vote unanimous?


Officially, yes. But Rutgers might have gotten dragged in to avoid a 13-1 decision that would have raised eyebrows. The university released a statement warning that “individual universities may suspend the return to competition on a week-to-week basis if they or their scheduled opponents are experiencing significant negative changes among players and staff or within the broader university community.” Rutgers halted workouts in late July, and coach Greg Schiano said last month that 30 football players tested positive. Jonathan Holloway was one of the few university presidents to offer public support for the conference’s original decision to postpone. Rutgers linebacker CJ Onyechi (26) stops Penn State quarterback Will Levis (7) on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019, at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.


What are the risks?


Playing a contact sport makes social distancing impossible. Beyond the practices and games, there are meetings and huddles. Big Ten coaches say their players will be safe with off-field team protocols that demand they wear masks and avoid bars and large gatherings. And players who wish to opt out will not lose eligibility or their scholarship. But there’s a reason Dr. Anthony Fauci warned in June that football might not be possible in 2020. Flu season might prompt a national second wave. Jeff Mjaanes, Northwestern’s director of sports medicine, said schools and the conference will work together if there’s a need to cancel a game. There is no threshold of healthy players required to play. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh watches the action during the spring game Saturday, April 13, 2019 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan.


Should President Donald Trump be taking credit?


A Big Ten source said the conference did not ask for help and Trump did not specifically offer any, and that Commissioner Kevin Warren’s contact with him was limited to a single phone call. Warren on Wednesday described the call as “productive … interesting and respectful.” Trump devotees are certain he helped. His critics, meanwhile, called this line in his tweet — “It is my great honor to have helped!!!” — an obvious attempt to sway voters in Midwestern swing states. People will believe what they want to believe. Trump speaks to the media on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., before his departure to deliver remarks at the Second Step Presidential Justice Forum in Columbia, S.C., on Friday, Oct. 25, 2019.


Was this done ‘for the money’?


Yes and no. If money were not a factor, the Big Ten would not be playing. Big Ten schools need football revenue to survive: Nebraska football accounted for $96.1 million in 2019, 71% of the athletic department’s total revenue. But if the overwhelming majority of players, parents of players and coaches had not pleaded to return, the Big Ten would not be playing. And based on the conference’s August decision to postpone, the presidents and chancellors really do care about safety. If this were purely a money grab, conference officials would be trying to sell tickets to games. Instead, only family members of players and coaches will be allowed to attend. Ohio State football coach Ryan Day. Ohio State pushed for a delay in the college football season, rather than the postponement the Big Ten decided on.


What about player opt-outs?


SI.com reported that eight of the Big Ten’s 21 announced opt-outs declared for the NFL draft, but not all signed with agents. If they did sign and accept money, it’s doubtful the NCAA would restore their eligibility. Northwestern’s Rashawn Slater, Minnesota’s Rashod Bateman, Penn State’s Micah Parsons and Michigan’s Jalen Mayfield, Ambry Thomas and Nico Collins all signed with agents. Purdue’s Rondale Moore and Ohio State’s Shaun Wade did not. Ohio State guard Wyatt Davis announced on Twitter he’s hoping to opt back in. Minnesota Gophers wide receiver Rashod Bateman (13) caught his third touchdown reception of the game Saturday in the third quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019 at Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois.


How do Illinois and Northwestern look?


Not bad. Lovie Smith has his deepest and, by many accounts, most talented roster. Northwestern should have a good defense and will be solid at quarterback. Illinois head coach Smith looks on from the sideline against Connecticutat Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn., on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019. Illinois won, 31-23.


Did this episode do permanent damage to Kevin Warren’s reputation?


Doubtful. Warren is a first-year commissioner who hadn’t worked in college sports for decades, and at times it showed. His reasons for postponing Aug. 11 were unclear, and he waited eight days to resurface, allowing frustration to fester. And internally, coaches and many athletic directors felt like they were in the dark over the last five weeks. They rallied and pushed for the restart. But Warren seems determined to improve the flaws in his game. Asked point-blank why his communication with coaches, players and parents was so poor, he replied, in part: “There are many things we learned over the last 40 days, and we’ll get better. And I think the goal in life is to make sure that today is better than yesterday. So I appreciate your question.” Here, Warren speaks about the cancellation of the men’s basketball tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on Thursday, March 12, 2020.