On the same day that UConn became the first FBS program to cancel its 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Big Ten announced that its member teams will play a 10-game, conference-only schedule beginning in just one month.
The Big Ten is planning a flexible 2020 football schedule that will be able to be modified depending on the current public health situation. Each team will have two bye weeks over the course of the 10-game schedule, which would allow teams to reschedule games if one needs to be postponed. The Big Ten also announced that participation is optional for all athletes, and that they will still have their scholarship honored if they decide to opt out.
Big Ten athletes, however, want more specific details about COVID-19 testing and protocol. Following the lead of Pac-12 athletes, who issued a list of demands for the 2020 season that included a 50/50 split of conference revenue with the players, among other things, Big Ten athletes issued their own “common-sense proposal” via The Players’ Tribune.
The BIG TEN Unity Proposal calls for regular COVID-19 testing, an adherence to WHO and CDC guidance, a ban on the use of COVID-19 liability waivers, and financial coverage of all COVID-19-related medical expenses for athletes. You can see the entire list here.
Via The Players’ Tribune:
“We believe that the NCAA must — on its own and through collaboration with the conference — devise a comprehensive plan to ensure the safety and well-being of players leading up to and during the upcoming fall season.
The NCAA — which is known for its zeal for regulations and enforcement — has had ample time to prepare for the safe return of its athletes to competition, yet it has done nothing. Its laissez-faire approach is forcing each conference and each school to create its own plan, resulting in inconsistent policies, procedures and protocols.”
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