Like many Big Ten coaches, Purbroe’s Jeff Brohm was disappointed and angry about learning the league had postponed the fall football season. He channeled those emotions into making a detailed plan for a spring season.
Brohm’s proposal outlines an eight-game season beginning Feb. 27 and ending on April 17, with postseason game breaks until May 15. He also outlines a slightly abbreviated fall 2021 schedule that would include 10 games and begin Oct. 2 after a four-week training camp. Both plans include playoff options for four or six teams.
“When it was canceled, it was heartbreaking,” Brohm told ESPN. “You feel for guys who have worked all their lives to get a chance to play football, and now they have not. It made me angry, and it just made me want to do something. That’s why I this put together. “
The health of the players is the main issue with potentially two seasons to play in one calendar year, and that has shaped Brohm’s thinking. His plan significantly reduces overhaul, contact practices over a two-season stretch – from 114 to 52 for teams not participating in bowling games, and from 144 to 64 for teams that reach bowls – and includes three months off after the spring 2021 season. Teams would allow only one padded exercise per week during the season.
Brohm notes that in the normal schedule, teams that play baking games winter later workouts begin weeks later and begin spring practices (almost all contact workouts) two months later.
“I could play in the NFL years ago; when I was with the 49ers, there were several years where once the regular season started, we didn’t practice in pads,” said Brohm, a former quarterback in ‘ and NFL and XFL. “That there are ways to take care of your boys. You’ll have a lot of time to prepare yourself. Even in the season I think you should limit the amount of padded practices you have. I think one full padded practice will be reasonable.
“For me, taking care of the body and the collegiate athlete is the most important thing. I just wanted to prove that there are ways to do that and still be able to allow football to be played at some point this year.”
Brohm also examined the number of games over a normal span of two seasons and compared it to his proposal. Teams that do not currently play games have an average of 1.6 games per month (24 games in 15 months). Under Brohm’s plan, those teams would have an average of 1.8 games (18 games over a 10-month span). Teams reaching the national championship game would increase from 1,875 games per month to two games per month in Brohm’s proposal.
Brohm’s Spring 2021 schedule includes two options for Big Ten teams, including a plan shared by Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh when discussing the fall 2020 season, which included a seeded game to become a league champion to determine. The Purdue coach also fabricated in weather, noting that teams in the Big Ten’s northern footprint would open with two dike games against teams further south.
“You can go play in some domes, maybe that’s a possibility, but try to find a way to play on college campuses and get back to a normal college atmosphere,” Brohm said. “The weather will improve throughout the spring and you can play games, and get fans in the stands, and get things on TV, maybe even have a championship at the end of it. I just think our seniors have the chance to to play. “
Brohm opposes allowing middle-aged entrants to qualify for a spring 2021 season, an idea Ohio State coach Ryan Day argued on Wednesday. But Brohm is open to sharing ideas with his conference coaching colleagues now that the spring season, described for months as “the last resort,” is the only option.
“This is not a perfect plan, but it will prove that it can be done when people are willing to make sacrifices,” Brohm said. “I wish we could have all collaborated as Power 5 conferences and done what was best for everything, whether it was to continue playing or build up or cancel the season. The fact that it was just a couple of we are in the moment, we need to find a way to make this work.It’s important that we all bring our thoughts together and do what’s best for college football and our student-athletes.I worked on it right away. It was just full yesterday morning.
“I will share it with anyone who wants to see it.”
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