Tag: Iowa

A Big Ten school becomes the first in the conference to cut sports programs due to lost revenue

The first Big Ten school has decided to cut multiple sports as a result of the coronavirus pandemic

A move that many have sadly projected was coming given the loss of Big Ten revenue this season happened yesterday.

Wisconsin Athletic Director Barry Alvarez has been very public about the financial difficulties created by the COVID-19 pandemic for the department at UW. In a letter to fans written just a few weeks ago and posted on uwbadgers.com, he stated that Wisconsin was in line to lost over $100 million dollars in revenue without a college football season.

In the letter, Alvarez also noted the steps that the Badgers had already taken to minimize costs during this uncertain time:

“To this point, we have taken many steps over the past few months to minimize the impact of a cancelled winter postseason and spring season. We have instituted pay decreases for our top 25 earners and workshare furloughs for all employees, put a freeze on almost all hiring, restricted travel, limited to essential-only spending and announced the delay of the South End Zone renovation project. These steps have allowed us to avoid the tough decisions other schools have already had to make, like eliminating sports or laying off employees.”

Another step to minimize costs came as devastating news to many division one athletes in Iowa City yesterday. The Iowa Hawkeyes announced they would be discontinuing men’s gymnastics, men’s swimming and diving, women’s swimming and diving, and men’s tennis due to money lost during the coronavirus pandemic.

“The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a financial exigency which threatens our continued ability to adequately support 24 intercollegiate athletics programs at the desired championship level,” University President Bruce Harreld and Athletic Director Gary Barta wrote, in a statement that was published yesterday. “With the Big Ten Conference’s postponement of fall competition on August 11, UI Athletics now projects lost revenue of approximately $100M and an overall deficit between $60-75M this fiscal year. A loss of this magnitude will take years to overcome. We have a plan to recover, but the journey will be challenging.”

This is yet another disastrous side effect of the coronavirus pandemic that has impacted nearly every facet of life for colleges and universities.

 

Ohio State star quarterback Justin Fields starts ‘We want to play’ petition

Ohio State star quarterback Justin Fields is using his platform to try and apply pressure to get Big Ten football back for this fall.

Aside from Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who has already been very vocal about his wishes to have college football played this fall, there probably isn’t as recognized name in the game as Justin Fields.

For those who may not know though, Fields quarterbacks Ohio State and after a standout 2019, was a big reason for the Buckeyes being among the favorites to win it all in 2020.

‘Was’ might be a short word but carries massive importance in this case as Ohio State and the rest of the Big Ten saw their football seasons canceled last week in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now Fields is using his platform to try and pressure Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren and all 14 Big Ten presidents to reinstate football to the conferences 2020 fall schedule. Fields began a petition seeking nationwide support to this cause on Sunday and has already received more than 65,000 as of early Sunday afternoon.

Fields says of the ‘We want to play’ cause:

We want to play. We believe that safety protocols have been established and can be maintained to mitigate concerns of exposure to Covid 19. We believe that we should have the right to make decisions about what is best for our health and our future. Don’t let our hard work and sacrifice be in vain. #LetUsPlay!

I credit the young man for putting his support behind his belief. It’s not just about staying healthy this fall in order to be a first round pick in next spring’s NFL Draft. He clearly wants to play, potentially raise his draft stock and help lead a team with legit national championship aspirations.

Hats off to Fields for stating and acting on his wishes. Unfortunately for his cause I’d be shocked if this petition changes any minds of those in charge, even if it ultimately lands one million signatures that would fill all 14 Big Ten football stadiums.

If you’d like to sign the petition you can do so by clicking here.

Badgers’ top 2021 wide receiver target announced his commitment date

The Badgers are currently without a wide receiver in their impressive class of 2021. Those involved are hoping that will change on…

The Badgers are currently without a wide receiver in their impressive class of 2021. Those involved are hoping that will change on Sunday at 12 p.m. eastern when three-star wide receiver Skyler Bell announces his commitment.

The Watertown, Connecticut native had the Badgers in his top five schools when he announced them on August 8–the other four being Iowa, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Rutgers.

247Sports has the wide receiver as the No. 1102 player in the class of 2021, the No. 164 recruit at his position and the No. 6 prospect from the state of Connecticut.

Though the Badgers have been heavily pursuing Bell, 247Sports’ crystal ball projection has him choosing to play for Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Check back on Monday to see which school lands the three-star wide receiver.

 

For everything Wisconsin recruiting and the class of 2021 check out the 2021 commitment tracker and follow @thebadgerswire, @benzkenney and @alow_33 on Twitter.

2021 NFL Draft: 11 Big Ten prospects the Eagles should target after the conference cancels season

11 Big-Ten prospect the Eagles should target in the 2021 NFL Draft

The Big Ten will be without college football this fall after conference presidents and chancellors voted Tuesday to postpone all fall sports seasons, including football, amid the coronavirus pandemic with the hopes of playing in the spring.

With the college football season now in doubt and in the NFL Draft in the spring, here are 11 Big Ten standouts the should Eagles target:

***

1. Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue

A 5-foot-9 dynamo, Moore committed to Purdue during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl after changing his mind about Texas.

Moore recorded 1,164 receiving yards and 203 rushing yards to go along with thirteen combined touchdowns. Moore’s 2,048 all-purpose yards were the most since Dorien Bryant recorded 2,121 in 2007, and the second-most in Purdue history.

Moore only played in four games last season but is still projected to be a first-round pick.

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REPORT: A majority of Big Ten presidents vote against a fall season as two schools push to play

The conference has voted against a fall season

After a night filled with news that was trending towards a cancelled fall season, and a meeting last night between Big Ten presidents and chancellors, the Big Ten leaders have reportedly held a vote on whether or not they are in favor of playing college football this fall.

According to longtime talk radio host Dan Patrick, the Big Ten has voted against having the fall season with 12 of the 14 leaders in favor of cancellation.

The two schools that are in favor of playing were Iowa and Nebraska, per Dan Patrick.

We are expecting news of this vote tomorrow, as the Big Ten gets set to make an official announcement. It is clear that the Big Ten is now taking the lead on cancelling first, which many believe would create a power conference domino effect that leads to widespread cancellation of a fall football season.

Big Ten puts full-contact practices on hold

The Big Ten has put a stop to full-padded practices.

The tenuous state of college football in the fall of 2020 took another hit Saturday with the Big Ten Conference announcing it is pausing full-contact practices due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Big Ten will not proceed to padded practices, instead remain w/helmets only. Big Ten: “We understand there are many questions regarding how this impacts schedules, as well as the feasibility of proceeding forward with the season at all”

The statement released by the conference:

The Big Ten Conference announced today, based on the advice and counsel of the Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee, that, until further notice, all institutions will remain in the first two days of the acclimatization period in football (i.e., helmets shall be the only piece of protective equipment student-athletes may wear) as we continue to transition prudently through preseason practice. All other fall sports will continue to work locally with team physicians and athletic trainers to adjust practices to the appropriate level of activity, as necessary, based on current medical protocols.

Each new phase of activity provides new intelligence and experience and allows us to evaluate the implementation of our Conference and institutional medical protocols in real-time. In order to make the right health and safety decisions for our student-athletes, we believe it is best to continue in the appropriate phase of activity referenced above while we digest and share information from each campus to ensure we are moving forward cautiously.

We understand there are many questions regarding how this impacts schedules, as well as the feasibility of proceeding forward with the season at all. As we have consistently stated, we will continue to evaluate daily, while relying on our medical experts, to make the best decisions possible for the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes.

Where Notre Dame ranks in 2020 preseason Amway Coaches poll powered by USA TODAY Sports

The preseason Amway Coaches poll is out. Where does Notre Dame and their opponents for 2020 rank? Find out here!

What a day.

First we get Notre Dame’s 2020 football schedule finally released, we have to say goodbye to the Navy game for the first time in almost a century and now we have a sure-sign of the dog days of summer and college football approaching as the Amway Coaches poll powered by USA TODAY Sports has been released.

Who gets the No. 1 ranking?  Where does Notre Dame come in?  And where do Notre Dame’s opponents for 2020 check-in?

It’s all below:

Preseason Amway Coaches Poll:

  1.  Clemson
    2.  Ohio State
    3.  Alabama
    4.  Georgia
    5.  LSU
    6.  Oklahoma
    7.  Penn State
    8.  Florida
    9.  Oregon
    10.  Notre Dame
    11.  Auburn
    12.  Wisconsin
    13.  Texas A&M
    14.  Texas
    15.  Michigan
    16.  Oklahoma State
    17.  USC
    18.  Minnesota
    19.  North Carolina
    20.  Utah
    21.  UCF
    22.  Cincinnati
    23.  Iowa
    24.  Virginia Tech
    25.  Iowa State

Notre Dame sneaks into the top ten and is scheduled to face two teams appearing in the preseason top 25:  No.1 Clemson and No. 19 North Carolina.

If ranked No. 1 on November 7, Clemson will be the first top-ranked team in the nation to come to Notre Dame Stadium since USC in the famed 2005 “Bush Push” game.

Notre Dame will kickoff the 2020 season when they play host to unranked Duke on September 12.

Texas lands commitment from three-star point guard

Texas has landed its second basketball recruit in the 2021 class, this time from Emarion Ellis. A three-star guard, Ellis is from Iowa.

Texas has landed its second basketball recruit in the 2021 class, this time from Emarion Ellis. The three-star guard received an offer from the Longhorns on July 24 and has committed just four days later.

Rating
Stars Overall State Position
247 – – – –
Rivals 3 – – 50
ESPN – – – –
247 Composite – – – –
Vitals
Hometown Davenport, Iowa
Projected Position Point Guard
Height 6-5
Weight 175
Recruitment
  • Offered on July 24, 2020
  • No visit yet
Offers
  • Bryant
  • Louisiana Tech
  • Wisconsin-Milwaukee
  • Iowa
Film

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Three bold takes and one guarantee for the 2020 Big Ten conference-only season

The scheduled kickoff for the Wisconsin Badgers’ 2020 football season is now only 47 days away. Yes, there are still question marks…

The scheduled kickoff for the Wisconsin Badgers’ 2020 football season is now only 47 days away.

Yes, there are still question marks about what the schedule will look like and if September 4 is a realistic date to start the season. But from what we know now, the Badgers and the rest of the conference will play a conference-only schedule and (hopefully) a conference championship and bowl season.

A lot about the season and each team’s chances changed when the Big Ten altered their schedule, so I went through the top teams in the conference earlier this week and analyzed how their stock was affected by the change. Long story short, the elimination of out-of-conference games has a profound affect on the season outlook of many of the conference’s leading programs.

Today we’re going a little more into the weeds and making three bold claims and one guarantee about what is to come during the altered season.

First, the three bold claims:

 

No. 1: The Indiana Hoosiers will finish the season No. 3 in the Big Ten East and with a better record than Michigan

NCAA Football: Indiana at Maryland
Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) looks to pass during the first quarter against the Maryland Terrapins at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium. Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

I never thought I would ever type those words out, but when you look at each team’s schedule and different preseason situations it makes a lot of sense.

First, Indiana has only four challenging games on their schedule: at Wisconsin, vs Penn State, at Ohio State and at Michigan.

Michigan, on the other hand, has five: vs Wisconsin, vs Penn State, at Minnesota, vs Indiana and at Ohio State.

What’s the difference between those schedules? Most of Indiana’s tough games are on the road in what will likely be empty stadiums and most of Michigan’s will be at home in front of an empty stadium.

So the playing field is leveled a bit to start.

Second, and the biggest reason the Hoosiers are trending upward while Michigan is going the opposite direction, is Indiana welcomes back Michael Penix Jr. after an 8-5 2019 season while Michigan needs to groom Dylan McCaffrey to take over the starting job after going 9-4 last season.

Having talent and experience return at the quarterback position is pivotal this year as the preseason is already different and shortened in addition to the fact that out-of-conference “cupcake” games that are usually important to preparing a quarterback for conference play are no longer on the schedule.

I’m buying Indiana’s stock with Penix Jr. under center, a veteran offensive line and an improving defense and selling Michigan’s with a new quarterback and a gauntlet of a schedule.

 

Next…one of the Badgers’ division rivals who will be taking a step backwards this season

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Big Ten’s Statement on 2020-21 Fall Season

Well, it’s official.  Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic had the news earlier today that the Big Ten would only be playing conference games this fall, which means no Notre Dame/Wisconsin at Lambeau Field.

Well, it’s official.  Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic had the news earlier today that the Big Ten would only be playing conference games this fall, which means no Notre Dame/Wisconsin at Lambeau Field.

The Big Ten just released their official statement in those regards that reads as follows:

We are facing uncertain and unprecedented times, and the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes, coaches, game officials, and others associated with our sports programs and campuses remain our number one priority.

To that end, the Big Ten Conference announced today that if the Conference is able to participate in fall sports (men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, football, men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball) based on medical advice, it will move to Conference-only schedules in those sports. Details for these sports will be released at a later date, while decisions on sports not listed above will continue to be evaluated. By limiting competition to other Big Ten institutions, the Conference will have the greatest flexibility to adjust its own operations throughout the season and make quick decisions in real-time based on the most current evolving medical advice and the fluid nature of the pandemic.

This decision was made following many thoughtful conversations over several months between the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors, Directors of Athletics, Conference Office staff, and medical experts including the Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee.

In addition, the Conference announced that summer athletic activities will continue to be voluntary in all sports currently permitted to engage in such activities. Furthermore, Big Ten student-athletes who choose not to participate in intercollegiate athletics at any time during the summer and/or the 2020-21 academic year due to concerns about COVID-19 will continue to have their scholarship honored by their institution and will remain in good standing with their team. 

While Big Ten member institutions continue to rely on the most up-to-date medical information to establish the best protocols for voluntary workouts on their campuses, in compliance with local and state regulations, the Conference is working with the Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee to finalize Conference-wide protocols.

As we continue to focus on how to play this season in a safe and responsible way, based on the best advice of medical experts, we are also prepared not to play in order to ensure the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes should the circumstances so dictate.

The Big Ten is the first to announce this move but don’t be surprised if the majority, if not all of the other Power Five conferences join them by the end of the day.

Stay tuned for all the breaking news right here at Fighting Irish Wire!

Related:
Jack Swarbrick not as hopeful for season to start on time

Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin at Lambeau called off

ACC to be Notre Dame’s 2020 football life-raft?