After much backlash and criticism, Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren spoke about the conference’s decision to cancel the football season for the fall with hopes of playing in the spring. Letters from parent groups from Big Ten schools and the “We want to play” movement were important factors in the backlash against the Big Ten.
On Wednesday, Warren wrote a letter to the Big Ten community. In his statement, Warren outlines the factors that led the Big Ten to make the decision.
The full letter can be read below:
“I am writing on this occasion to share additional information with you regarding the Big Ten Conference’s decision to postpone the 2020-21 bankruptcy season,” Warren wrote. “We deeply understand and appreciate what sports mean to our student-athletes, their families, our coaches and our fans. The vote by the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors (COP / C) was overwhelming in support of the postponement of falls and will not be re-examined. The decision was detailed and deliberative, and based on sound feedback, guidance and advice from medical experts. Despite the decision to suspend bankruptcy sports, we continue our work to find a way forward that creates a healthy and safe environment for all Big Ten student-athletes to participate in the sports they practice. a way that helps spread COVID-19 and protects both student-athletes and the surrounding communities.
“As you well know, we are facing a complex global pandemic with the SARS-CoV-2 virus discovered in November 2019. The first medically confirmed cases did not appear in the United States until January 2020. In Over the past seven months, the US has recorded more than 5.5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, resulting in more than 170,000 deaths, with more than 22 million confirmed cases and 780,000 lives worldwide. are lost.
“We understand the disappointment and questions about the timing of our decision to suspend bankruptcy, especially in light of the release of a football scheme just six days before that decision. From the outset, we have consistently communicated our efforts to carefully continue one day at a time with the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes at the center of our decision-making. Therefore, we simultaneously took paths in releasing the football schedule, while also controlling the spread of the virus, testing, and medical concerns, as student-athletes transitioned to practice with full contact.
“Although several factors contributed to the decision to postpone the 2020-21 bankruptcy season, the core of our decision was the knowledge that there was too much medical uncertainty and too many unknown health risks regarding SARS-CoV-2 infection and its impact on our student-athletes.
“Below are the primary factors that led to the Big Ten COP / C decision:
- Transmission rates continue at an alarming rate with little indication from medical experts that our campuses, communities or country can gain control over the spread of the virus prior to competition.
- While our teams began to prepare for intensive practices, many of our medical staff did not think that the interventions we had planned would be sufficient to reduce the potential spread, even with very regular testing.
- While the general student body is returning to campus, spread to student athletes could re-introduce infection into our athletic community.
- There’s just too much we do not know about the virus, recovery from infection and long term effects. Although the data on cardiomyopathy are preliminary and incomplete, the uncertain risk was currently unacceptable.
- Concerns about contact tracing still exist, including the inability to social distance in contact sports according to the guidelines of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While processes for risk mitigation (e.g., physical distance, face covering, appropriate hygiene, etc.) across campus can be implemented for the student body population, it became clear that these processes could not be fully implemented in contact sports.
- With the onset of full contact practice and competitions, it became increasingly clear that contact tracking and quarantine risked frequent and significant disruptions to the practice and competition calendar.
- Accurate and widely available rapid testing can help reduce those concerns, but access to accurate testing is currently limited.
- Major concerns also exist about the test delivery chain, in general, for many of our institutions.
“Financial considerations have not affected the COP / C decision, as the proposal will have enormous negative financial implications. We understand the passion of many student-athletes and their families who were disappointed by the decision, but also know that there are many who have a lot of worries and fears regarding the pandemic.
“Going forward, we will continue to build on the framework that our medical professionals have developed over the past five months, while taking the opportunity to learn more about the virus and its effects. As we expand on a plan to engage our student-athletes as soon as it is safe to do so, we will maintain our focus on creating protocols and standards established and established by our medical advisors who respond to the evaluated medical concerns through our COP / C.
To this end, the Big Ten Conference has assembled a Return to Competition Task Force, consisting of COP / C members, sports medicine and university medical staff, athletic directors, head coaches, faculty athletic representatives and senior women managers to plan for the proceeds of the When evaluating winter / spring models, we will examine many factors, including the number of football matches that can be reasonably played from a health perspective in an entire calendar year, while maintaining a premier competitive experience for our student-athletes who The Big Ten Conference will continue to gather feedback from student-athletes, families, and other constituencies and will remain in active conversations with its television partners about all future plans.
“We have great appreciation and understanding of what participating in sports means to our student-athletes, their families, our campus communities and our fans. We will continue to make the best decisions possible for the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes. We appreciate the passion of the Big Ten community and will commit this energy to providing the best possible experience for all Big Ten student athletes. ”
Earlier on Wednesday, Warren announced the week following the Big Ten’s decision and the challenges posed by the relocation.
“One of the things I want to make sure we get refurbished is (that we) postponed, not canceled,” Warren said. “We have postponed it … The last week has been very emotional for many reasons. In fact, when the decision was made on the basis of medical advice to put off all our fall sports, but especially football, they are ” r broad emotions.
That’s really what makes the Big Ten the Big Ten. Not only do we have talented athletes from an academic point of view, but we have talented athletes from an athletic point of view. We have very good teams and some of the best coaches in the country, some of the best athletic directors and presidents and chancellors. Every time you make a decision collectively in the conference with our school, especially this year – this has been a everyone for a whole year. “
