ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference announced the postponement of the 2020-21 bankruptcy season, including all regular season matches and Big Ten Championships and Tournaments, due to ongoing health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In making its decision, which was based on multiple factors, the Big Ten Conference relied on the medical advice and advice of the Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee.
“Our primary responsibility is to make the best possible decisions in the interests of our students, faculties and staff,” said Morton Schapiro, President of the Big Ten Council of Presidents / Chancellors and President of Northwestern University.
“The mental and physical health and well-being of our student-athletes were at the heart of every decision we made about the opportunity to move forward,” said Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren. “As time went on and after hours of talking with our Big Ten Task Force on Emerging Illness and the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee, it became very clear that there was too much uncertainty about potential medical risks to our student. athletes fall to participate.
‘We know how important the experience of student-athletes can be in shaping the future of the talented young women and men participating in the Big Ten Conference. Although this knowledge made this a painful decision, it did not make it difficult. Although I know that our decision today will be disappointing in many ways for our thousands of student-athletes and their families, I am guided and inspired by their resilience, their insightful and sensible thoughts, and their participation through our conversations up to this point. Everyone affiliated with the Big Ten Conference and its affiliates is working to get everyone back into competition as soon as it is safe to do so. “
The fall sports included in this announcement are cross-country men and women, field hockey, soccer, men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s soccer. The Big Ten Conference will continue to evaluate a number of options regarding these sports, including the possibility of competition in the spring. Decisions regarding winter and spring sports will also be continuously evaluated.
The Big Ten Conference is proud of its 14 world-class research institutions and has used its resources and expertise to tackle this pandemic over the past five months. The Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee have been engaged in extensive research and sharing of materials and discussions with agencies, state and local government agencies, and professional and international sports organizations to monitor and better understand the daily updates surrounding this pandemic. Their advice and counsel were invaluable as they have worked unscrupulously over the past few months in their efforts to create and maintain a safe environment for athletics.
The Big Ten Conference will continue to work with medical experts and government agencies to gather additional information, evaluate emerging data and technologies, and monitor pandemic developments to make the best decisions possible for the health, safety, and wellness of our students. the athlete.
