A potential shutdown of college football on Monday sparked an outpouring of support for playing a 2020 season, from the president of the United States to the head coach at Ohio State, sending a divided nation of the sport into what could be a Tuesday be of decisions of cataclysmic conferences.
Or another day of delayed action. Nothing is certain.
Continuing its fractured nature, the NCAA’s richest five conferences formed factions about the idea of playing a season one fall or not, splitting into warring parties: the Pac-12 and Big Ten are expected to cancel their seasons or postpone; the SEC and ACC would like to play; and the Big 12 is “really split,” according to multiple sources. A divided conference sitting among other divided conferences is an appropriate metaphor for the whole sport.
All of this was fueled by the Big Ten’s impressive move to cancel their season. More than 24 hours after the first reports published by ESPN, Yahoo Sports and SI about the potential plans of the Big Ten, the conference has not yet made an announcement and is now gripped in an internal battle that goes public on Monday . From top politicians to the league’s own coaches, a variety of characters express their support strongly for a 2020 season, some of them specifically targeting Big Ten and Commissioner Kevin Warren.
“Kevin faced a lot more blowback today than he thought he would,” says a source from the sector. ‘It may not change its position, but it has at least slowed down the train. It may still end up in the same destination, but this has slowed them down. ”
Big Ten leaders are expected to meet Tuesday. ESPN reported that a decision could be made at a 10:30 a.m. ET meeting. That could be one of the most consistent days in the history of college football, with a host of Power 5 conference chairmen deciding to end the season, move on – or, more of a antilimax, delaying the start of the season even more than they already have.
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Managers and senior leaders of athletic departments spoke with Sports Illustrated about Monday’s events and Tuesday’s potential decisions. An insider from the sector summed up the situation as follows: ‘We have mastered the art of entertainment, if not otherwise. My God, what a mess. ”
The most definitive call of Tuesday could come from West. The Pac-12 is expected to vote on a 2020 season during a presidential meeting Tuesday. While many high sources in the sector expect them to end their efforts on a fall season, the conference could choose to delay kickoff significantly. In an interview with ESPN radio, Utah team doctor Dave Petron suggested that a delay is the likely course for the conference. The Pac-12 is scheduled to launch Sept. 26, well behind the original launch date.
Petron and other league doctors plan to brief conference leaders on an intensive medical document advising teams for now to stop all contact practices. The medical document is important for nationwide competitions. Administrators support the report and its contents, which are expected to highlight the dangers of virus-related heart disease. Sports Illustrated wrote about the issue in a story that was published Sunday morning, and that topic has raised the most recent doubt among decision-makers.
Tuesday’s main decision may come from the Big 12. Geographically located in Central America, the Big 12 seems to be punishing the proverbial gate. The neighbors to the West and North, Pac-12 and Big Ten, ride one way, while its neighbors to the East and South, ACC and SEC, move forward after a season.
One industry executive called the Big 12 the “linchpin,” and several executives described the conference as “split” over a decision. “I think the dialogue can swing it in some way,” a conference source said. A separate league source described the split as follows: “a small group that absolutely wants to postpone the season; a small group that absolutely wants to play; and a majority group that is in between, saying we should not decide now “ADs and presidents are expected to meet Tuesday night on a joint call,” sources told SI, where a vote is expected to cancel, continue or delay the fall season.
The status of the Big 12 as a Power 5 swing conference has become clear. A source with knowledge of the situation said that ACC presidents this week reached out to the Big 12 presidents to get a meter for what that league would do, communicating that it would affect the ACC’s position. If the Big 12 joined the Pac-12 and Big Ten in the postponement until 2021, the ACC would feel compelled to go along, the source said, essentially leaving the SEC on an island. If the Big 12 decides to stick to the decision, it would also allow the ACC to stick.
“If the SEC, ACC and Big 12 can play, I think they will,” says one source from the sector. One administrator of the Big 12, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: ‘We all know that the Big Ten and Pac-12 will do something. Will we be followers? Is it time to pull the plug? If we’re on the hook, let’s not make a decision. If we still ask, why then should we make a decision? If the ACC and SEC say yes, we can gather more information. ”
Another Big 12 manager added: “In case we cancel the season – and I’m not saying we will – we should be able to come out and say why. It can not be, ‘Well, because the Pac-12 decided that. ‘ “We are trying to get people who think we have to cancel at the moment to take a deep breath. We are not required to make a decision at this time over the whole year.”
By the time the Big 12 meets, the Pac-12 is expected to announce a decision, along with its medical report, a document that could shift potential views from decision-makers in other conferences, namely the waffled Big 12. According to insiders, the conference was ‘laid’ to the Big Ten and Pac-12 at the beginning of the day. ‘They do not lie as [much] as they were, ”says the source.
Meanwhile, towards the Southeast, teams are advancing. ACC athletic directors were allowed to meet three times Monday, advancing with the goal of a September 10 kickoff. At an impromptu meeting Monday, SEC presidents were expected to take the same approach, reflecting an earlier statement by SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey that suggested the league would continue after a kickoff. Both conferences want to have as much Power 5 company as possible while playing, which is why they are keeping a watchful eye on the Big 12.
Three of the remaining Group of Five conferences – the AAC, Conference USA and Sun Belt – are striving forward, taking directions from their Power 5 brothers. The Mountain West, on Monday, announced a closure two days after the MAC pulled its plug. While there are both health and safety reasons, finances are also at stake. In-season testing and other medical requirements come at a steep price.
Like many of the Power 5, the Big Ten have no source issues. However, the conference over the weekend was busy with other Power 5 conferences over the cancellation of his season, which at one time or another seemed like a foregone conclusion. Radio host Dan Patrick reported on his show Monday morning that at the time, the mood in the Big Ten to put out was 12-2, with only Nebraska and Iowa apart. But that was before many of the league’s coaches sounded in favor of playing, and were supported by politicians of the highest form.
President Donald Trump tweeted his support for the player-driven #WeWantToPlay movement, and Neb Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) Sent a letter to the Big Ten presidents demanding that they reconsider their position. Another Midwestern lawmaker, rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio), a former recipient of the Ohio State, called the decision a ‘big mistake’.
“It’s not right with me,” he told SI in an interview. ‘I’m fired over it. It will destroy these children. To get the experience away with no sayings and at the last minute it feels wrong to me. ”
In an election year, and with conferences scattered across red and blue states, politics are at stake. It’s a double whammy this year, when NCAA leaders are fighting for Congress to pass an association-friendly bill to compensate athletes. Gonzalez is drafting a House version while the House of Representatives is working on separate legislation.
Coaches also made their feelings heard, even creating the hashtag #WeWantToCoach. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, Ryan Day of Ohio State and Penn State coach James Franklin joined a chorus of voices in support of holding a 2020 season. without the Big Ten could play. “We are ready to look for other options,” he said.
The uncertainty is causing problems for coaches across the nation. While trying to keep practice, players were glued to social media accounts whining about the latest news. “How do you tell guys to practice when they just read Twitter that football is being canceled?” one coach told SI. ‘I feel like I’m practicing there and someone will grab me and say,’ What are you doing ?! ‘I feel like I’m doing something wrong. ‘
If major conferences are scheduled to take place Tuesday, a way forward is unclear. The Football Supervisory Board, one of the highest regulatory bodies in the NCAA, has not made any plans for a fall without football. Do teams still practice? Can they work it out? “We need to have answers for our student-athletes when we don’t have a season,” an administrator said.
Many administrators expect players, if they so choose, to stay on campuses for classes and to participate in a limited workout schedule that is most similar to summer or spring drills. Leaders, however, are not ready for such details.
“We are moving forward,” said one source familiar with the Oversight Committee’s handling. ‘Could they have planned for that? Yes, but there was no discussion about cancellation. It all changed here from last week. ‘
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