Tag: BIG Ten Conference

Lincoln Riley: ‘We’ve all got do our part’ to have college football

Oklahoma football head coach Lincoln Riley is confident college football can happen

Lincoln Riley is confident college football will happen, even if the format looks different than past years. 

The Big Ten and Pac-12 both announced they will be moving to conference-only play, but Riley explained there’s reason to find a solution to going ahead with the season.

“I just can’t imagine a scenario [where we don’t explore every option to play],” Riley told ESPN on Tuesday. “Whether it’s something we do in the fall, whether it’s a shortened season, whether it’s spring, there’s nothing we should take off the table. Regardless of what we have to do, I don’t think there’s anything we can’t work around and we can’t adjust and can’t make work in order to play college football. We’ve all got to do our part on that.”

Riley and the Sooners have been at the forefront of transparency, releasing the results of their tests for the last couple weeks. Initially, Oklahoma had 14 players test positive for the virus, but announced no new tests as of July 8. 

“The health and safety is the most important thing, and that’s the determining factor,” Riley said. “If we can’t do it, we can’t do it. But if we can, college football is so important to these communities, these universities, these athletes… not just football athletes, but college football affects every athlete on every campus. It’s a big, big deal. It’s not more important than health, but if we can get it to a safe place, we’ve got to find a way to get it done, whenever and however.”

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Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren, “We may not have a college football season.”

Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren warned fans and others that it’s not certain we will see a college football season because of COVID-19.

The news and soundbites coming out from decision-makers on whether or not we have a college football season in the fall are getting less and less optimistic. We’ve heard from Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith on his less-than-optimistic outlook on where things are headed. We’ve also seen the Ivy League make the tough decision to cancel its fall sports.

And now we can add Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren to that list. He met with the Big Ten Network on Thursday on the heels of an announcement that the Big Ten will play conference only games this fall. That includes Ohio State football, and basically washes out the game scheduled in Eugene, Oregon against the University of Oregon on September 12.

But that might not be all. According to what Warren said to BTN’s Mike Hall during an interview segment on Thursday, it’s a real possibility that there may not be sports at all in the fall, and that the college football season could be shelved.

“This is not a fait accompli that we’re going to have sports in the fall,” said Warren. “We may not have sports in the fall. We may not have a college football season.”

There was much more that was said, but the fact that many are now believing that college football is in real danger for the fall because of the spike in COVID-19 cases is pretty big news — especially when you hear it directly from the mouth of the man running the Big Ten Conference.

Remember, Warren and the Big Ten were one of the leaders in making a decision to cancel the Big Ten Basketball Tournament in March when things began to initially turn south with the coronavirus pandemic. Many followed suit after that. Any decisions Warren and the conference makes in the near future could have a similar ripple effect.

You can listen to the entire interview below thanks to what was shared via BTN’s Twitter profile.

In case you wondered, these are truly remarkable and historic times we are living in, and we won’t forget the year 2020 for many years to come. We’ll stay on top of any further developments as it relates to a new schedule release — or heaven forbid — any further cancellation of sports and activities.

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Report: ACC opts for conference-only schedule this fall

The ACC is the second conference to decide for a conference-only schedule this fall.

Just hours after the Big Ten announced its move to eliminate non-conference games this fall the ACC has announced it will do the same.

This announcement comes a day after it was first reported that UNC had suspended workouts for at least a week due to a ‘cluster’ of COVID-19 cases. UNC tested 429 student athletes, coaches, and staff members and returned 37 positive cases.

Brett McMurphy of Stadium reported the news on Twitter Thursday afternoon.

The announcement allows the season kickoff to be postponed by at least one month to better ensure the safety and wellness of players and coaches.

Also mentioned is the ACC’s decision to assist Notre Dame with as many games as is needed.

How does this affect the SEC?

Notre Dame was scheduled to play Arkansas on September 12th.

UNC was scheduled to play Auburn on September 12th.

Virginia was scheduled to play Georgia on September 7th.

The SEC has not made any announcements regarding a conference only schedule yet. Brandon Marcello of 247Sports tweeted that he was on the phone with an SEC coach who was “shocked” by the announcement out of the Big Ten, and that was before Brett McMurphy released the ACC’s announcement.

Zach Harrison, Gene Smith two of eight Ohio State representatives on Big Ten’s Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Coalition

Zach Harrison and Gene Smith are a part of 8 current Ohio State members that are a part of Big Ten’s Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Coalition.

The Big ten announced the formation of an Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Coalition just a couple of weeks ago. It followed that up with a reveal of members of that Coalition on Monday. It’s an extensive list, and one that includes eight current Buckeyes.

Included from Ohio State are football defensive end Zach Harrison as well as athletic director Gene Smith. The complete list of Buckeye notables on the Coalition include the following:

Donald Anthony Jr. – Fencing Head Coach
Karen Dennis – Director, Men’s & Women’s Track and Field, Cross Country
Zach Harrison – Defensive End, Football Team Student-Athlete
Jen Flynn Oldenburg – Volleyball Head Coach
Alexus Pyles – Women’s Track and Field Student-Athlete
Khadevis Robinson – Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Head Coach
Gene Smith – Director of Athletics
Tony White – Advisory Commission, Former Basketball Student-Athlete

Other notable members of the coalition from across the conference include Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh and Juwan Howard, Maryland head coaches Mike Locksley and Mark Turgeon, P.J. Fleck of Minnesota, Iowa basketball head coach Fran McCaffery, Michigan State’s Mel Tucker, Fred Hoiberg of Nebraska, Penn State’s James Franklin, the Chicago Bulls’ Doug Collins as a partner, and more.

“The events in our country and around the world during the past few months have strengthened my fundamental belief in our need to develop tangible and actionable efforts in a collective manner and provide viable solutions addressing the issues of hate and racism in our society,” said Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren in a statement. “We have the distinct opportunity and responsibility through our Coalition to continually encourage, educate and empower our student-athletes as we embrace transparent and much-needed dialogue regarding meaningful issues that have impacted race relations for many years.”

As a part of the communication, the Big Ten also announced the formation of a 16 person Voter Registration Committee that “will be designed to inform and educate student-athletes on the importance of civic engagement and how to register to vote and submit a ballot, in person or absentee.”

The committee will provide monthly educational programs beginning in July through the general election in November.

“The Big Ten Conference Voter Registration Initiative is a natural extension of the conversation within the Coalition,” said Warren. “An election year provides the opportunity to educate our student-athletes in a non-partisan fashion regarding the importance of exercising their civic right to clearly understand the political process, register to vote, cast a vote during the upcoming election, and provide adequate support to combat voter suppression. We are at an inflection point in our country. Empowering our student-athletes by encouraging them to use their voices illustrates how we can collectively work together to build a better future.”

 

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Big Ten Conference announces creation of Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Coalition

The Big Ten has announced the creation of a new coalition to empower student-athletes to combat hate and racism.

In the wake of George Floyd’s death, most Americans are asking themselves what they can do to prevent future tragedies. For Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren, that call led him to create the Big Ten Conference Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Coalition.

Warren announced the coalition in a powerful statement he released on Monday along with a $100,000 donation to the National Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights.

The coalition will invite student-athletes, coaches, athletic directors, chancellors, presidents, and others to join him as they work to empower student-athletes to create meaningful change.

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Big Ten to create Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Coalition

Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren wrote an open letter today announcing the creation of an Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Coalition.

We’ve seen a slew of celebrities, sports personalities, players, coaches, and almost all of humanity denounce the senseless and tragic death of George Floyd. Words are great, but putting real, tangible things in action is even better.

Enter Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren. He released an open letter today that expressed some concerns about where this country is today. Warren himself has a deep history in the Minneapolis area where the tragedy occurred. He is also a part of the African American community and his words have power.

To that end, Warren announced the formation of a Big Ten Anti-Hate and Anit-Racist Coalition in his letter. The coalition is meant to invite all Big Ten stakeholders to join him in bringing about change.

The full context of Warren’s letter is on the next page. Of note is Warren and his wife’s generous initial gift of $100,000 to the coalition:

Next … Complete text of Kevin Warren’s open letter

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

BTN Big 10K to be virtual event this year

BTN released information Tuesday that confirmed the annual Big 10K being a virtual event this year on July 26.

The Big Ten Conference has already announced that its annual Big Ten Football Media Days will not be held as scheduled this July, and you had to wonder what that would mean for the annual BTN Big 10K that usually takes place in Chicago over the summer as well.

Now we have our answer. The Big Ten released information today that announced that the ninth annual event will take place virtually this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants will be able to register and race in their neighborhoods on July 26.

With registration, they will receive some racing bibs and other gifts that include a finisher’s certificate for either the 5K or 10K that they choose.

The following is the complete release from the conference, including how to register.

“CHICAGO, Ill. – The ninth annual BTN Big 10K is transitioning to a virtual event in 2020, offering walkers or runners a chance to celebrate the Big Ten and participate in a 5K or 10K race on Sunday, July 26, from wherever they live.

Registration is now open at www.btnbig10k.com and for $20, runners will receive a school-specific shirt, B1G branded running buff/headband, race bib and finisher’s certificate. Runners will also have access to a BTN Big 10K Spotify playlist which includes school fight songs and other music curated for use while training or racing. Participants are able to race through their neighborhood, on the treadmill, through their local park or on their favorite trail and upload results on the website, share photos of the experience and download a finishers certificate through Saturday, Aug. 1.

“’This is an exciting opportunity for the Big Ten community to join together and show support for this historic event,” said Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren. “I am truly looking forward to participating in my first BTN Big 10K this year and I hope that our tremendous alumni and fans will join me in an effort to stay healthy, support a charitable cause and represent their favorite Big Ten school. College sports have long offered a positive outlet to society, and while we all look forward to a day when that will be possible again, we know this race will bring our entire Big Ten family together with students, coaches, administrators, alumni and fans participating from around the globe.’”

BTN and the Big Ten will be supporting three charities for this year’s race including longtime partners ALIVE Rescue, and Special Olympics Chicago, while also adding Feeding America for this year’s race. During registration, fans will have an option to donate directly to any of the three designated charities.

Registration for the event begins today and will continue through Friday, July 10. Race packets will be mailed to runners prior to race day and participants will also receive a virtual sponsor goodie bag with unique offers for BTN Big 10K racers. For runners who can’t compete on race day, the virtual race will be open for the following week.

“’For the first time, Big Ten fans across the country and world will be able to participate in the BTN Big 10K no matter where they live,’” said BTN president Francois McGillicuddy. “’We look forward to the day when we will once again bring thousands of people together in Chicago, but we’re also proud to demonstrate how the Big Ten community showcases togetherness, even while walking and racing apart. We encourage everyone to join us on July 26 and represent their favorite Big Ten school in the BTN Big 10K.’”

Participants are also encouraged to send and receive updates via the BTN Big 10K Facebook group.“

 

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Big Ten Media Days will not be held as scheduled

The Big Ten has announced that its annual Media Days will not be held as scheduled.

In another sign of the season we are in, the Big Ten has announced that its B1G Football Media Days will not be held as scheduled. It was initially supposed to be held in Chicago from July 22-23 with members of the media in person, along with players and coaches.

“Following discussions with Big Ten member institutions, the Big Ten Conference announced today that the 2020 Big Ten Football Media Days and Kickoff Luncheon scheduled to take place July 22-23 in Chicago will not be held as scheduled in order to ensure the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, fans, partners and media. The Conference will continue to monitor developing information and continue to consult with medical experts to determine the appropriate dates and format for our annual event,” the conference announced in a press release.

The Big Ten is just another one of the major conferences to make a similar announcement. It’s still unknown whether the conference will move to a virtual format like the Big 12, Pac-12, AAC, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, and Sun Belt have.

The reason — as you can guess — is the COVID-19 pandemic.

The novel coronavirus has caused trouble for the NCAA and life in general, forcing the canceling of winter championships and spring sports including the annual madness of the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

As for media days, this move makes sense given the lack of hotel spacing and the lack of seating that typically comes with these slam-packed days.

That said, the Big Ten has put a restriction on all organized team activities for the next few weeks, potentially allowing them back on June 1. Ohio State will look to bring back players for voluntary works starting June 8.

Big Ten Conference announces mental health initiatives

The Big Ten announced the formation of a mental health conference and other initiatives surrounding the mental health of its members.

This is a long time coming, and we give a tip of the cap to the Big Ten on this. In case you didn’t know, the month of May is mental health month.

On that note, Monday, the conference announced the formation of a mental health cabinet to assist its members and their student-athletes. It compromises all fourteen Big Ten institutions as well as sport affiliate members John Hopkins and Notre Dame.

As part of the initiative, all Big Ten student-athletes, coaches, full-time members of university athletic departments and conference staff members will receive free, unlimited access to Calm, the No. 1 mental fitness app for helping individuals experience lower stress, less anxiety, improved focus and more restful sleep — something we could all use these days.

“When I was hired as the Commissioner of the Big Ten Conference, a core pillar of my vision was to make sure that we educate, embrace, engage and empower our more than 9,500 student-athletes. This is a complex and stressful time in our society and the mental health and wellness of our Big Ten family is a critical component of our focus,” said Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren in the release. “The Cabinet will be instrumental for us both short and long term, as we pursue our goal of creating and maintaining the most comprehensive mental health and wellness platform in college athletics.”

“Our hope is that the Calm mental fitness app will provide an immediate resource for all Big Ten student-athletes, coaches, athletic department staff members and conference staff during these unprecedented times and is only the first of many steps that we will take in the area of mental health and wellness. We are fortunate to have so many professionals on our campuses who have dedicated their lives to tackling mental health issues. We were driven to supplement their inspiring work with additional resources, important under normal circumstances, but even more so during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Count head football coach Ryan Day as a big proponent of these moves by the conference. He started his own foundation to assist juveniles with mental health, and it’s been something that he has championed since his arrival.

“I think the work the Big Ten Conference is doing with regard to mental health initiatives is incredibly important,” Day said. “Forming a Mental Health and Wellness Cabinet is a reflection of the conference’s leadership, engagement and support for mental health initiatives. These efforts will help bring much-needed attention and awareness to the subject of mental health.”

Here is the complete membership and school affiliations for the cabinet:

The membership of the Big Ten Mental Health and Wellness Cabinet can be found below by visiting the Big Ten’s website.

Big Ten announces suspension of organized team activities will extend through June 1

The conference will re-evaluate at that time.

The Big Ten announced on Monday that it has extended the previously announced suspension of all organized team activities through June 1, 2020, and will re-evaluate again at that time.

The Big Ten suspended organized athletic team activities in March at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The conference also said in a release that the moratorium on recruiting activities, both on and off campus, will continue.

Michigan State University moved students to online classes on March 11 and extended the period of online only classes through at least the end of the first summer session. A decision has yet to be made on whether or not the second summer session, which begins June 29, will be online only or if students will be allowed to return to campus by then. Students returning to campus is speculated as a major milestone in the ability for athletics–notably football–to return.

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