The Big Ten Will Delay All Fall Sports Until Spring

We’re one step closer to no college football this fall.

As reported by ESPN, the Big Ten Conference has nixed its fall season. The commissioners actually delayed all college sports for the next few months, while eyeing a potential return in spring.

As Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren noted in a statement:

The mental and physical health and welfare of our student-athletes has been at the center of every decision we have made regarding the ability to proceed forward. As time progressed and after hours of discussion with our Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee, it became abundantly clear that there was too much uncertainty regarding potential medical risks to allow our student-athletes to compete this fall.

The next question is whether other conferences — the ACC, Big 12, Pac-12 (which has a press conference at 4:30pm EST) and SEC — will follow. The Big Ten reportedly relied on the medical advice and counsel of the Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee to make its decision.

In contrast, President Donald Trump has suggested that not playing football this fall would be a “tragic mistake,” while the chair of the ACC medical advisory group believes football could be played safely.

Meanwhile, don’t get your hopes up about spring football. As commentator and former player Damien Woody noted, that would be way too much physical punishment for players who would maybe have to play again in the fall.