The Big Ten is capping a tumultuous start to the week by announcing the fall sports season is postponed, with the chance of play in the spring.
I don’t want to get too much into why they are doing this. The statement speaks for itself, as do the general issues of liability concerns. I am just befuddled, though, why the conference chose the equivalent of the nuclear option here. We went straight from schedule release to full postponement in under a week.
There are so many other options available. We have seen the players want to play. We know that the coaches want to play. And, potentially more importantly, we have every indication that the players and coaches don’t mind an extended season to make things work. So why not make things work?
The Big Ten could have announced, for example, an indefinite delay to the start of the season. Say that cases are too high right now in too many Big Ten states to be confident in safely playing right now. Though, as an aside, cases are relatively low in eight of the Big Ten’s 11 states, and only three have positivity rates above 6%. Set standards and baselines for what is required for play to start. And then, when those are met, indicate you can start play.
It doesn’t matter when play would or should be set to start. Forget the bowls and the playoff. Just have a season. If play would stretch from October to February, that’s fine. If there needs to be a break in the middle, that’s also fine. If play can’t start until January and we go through to March, there’s nothing wrong with that. We can delay for a week or two at a time to get things right. Why take the nuclear option now? And, more importantly, what do you lose by keeping all the middle options on the table for now?
Is the issue television money? Highly unlikely. Contracts might be difficult, but ultimately the partners at both ESPN and FOX would jump at a chance to air Big Ten games, whenever they may be. Also, we can’t forget the Big Ten Network. BTN would be able to air a game (or a double-header) every Friday, with a quadruple-header every Saturday. It would be a ratings boon for the conference, and could turn an awful situation into a, well, slightly-less-awful one. Instead, the conference gets nothing.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey casts doubt Ohio State playing in SEC if Big Ten cancels season https://t.co/w4yOssZ0iR
— Buckeyes Wire (@BuckeyesWire) August 11, 2020
Ultimately, this shows a clear and stunning lack of leadership in the Big Ten. No one is willing to take responsibility for having a season, and no one is willing to have to make the decision when play would need to start and stop. No one wants to have to make tough calls, and no one in the conference is relying on anyone else to agree to the tough calls.
So the conference member schools took the easy way out. We don’t know which presidents and/or chancellors voted which way. We likely never will. What we do know, though, is that everyone loses out with this decision. The players lose, the schools lose, the fans lose, and, ultimately, the entire institution of college athletics loses.
If the conference really tried and it turned out there is no way to safely have a season, it would be unfortunate. But at least it would have tried. No one loses by keeping players ready, and consistently tested. Instead, the conference–which branded itself as “leaders” a decade ago–decided not to lead at all. It decided not to try, and now everyone loses.
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