Nebraska’s administration and head coach Scott Frost on Tuesday did not decide the words of the Big Ten to postpone its 2020 football season to the spring.
The rest of the conference, however, seems to fall in line with the league’s plan.
Following Tuesday’s announcement, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith, Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez, and Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm all spoke with the Big Ten Network to share their thoughts on the situation.
In summary, all three expressed their disappointment that they did not have a fall season, but each agreed that it was the right move by the Big Ten.
“The decision has been made,” Alvarez told BTN. ‘Nobody likes it. But we are in a pandemic, and it is very difficult to play sports and have answers to these questions if your no. 1 concern is the health and safety of our student-athletes and everyone associated with the program. That’s how we react to it. If we respond positively, then let’s move forward. ”
Smith recognized that sentiment, and agreed with Alvarez that one of the biggest problems in terms of controlling COVID-19 through an autumn season was the inability to properly contact, especially in a contact sport.
“We stand with the league,” Smith said. “We understand the medical advice we received. We were ready to put pads, and that was a point, that was a moment, where science really started to become. We support the fact that we had to take a break. ”
Brohm admitted that he thought the start of the season two weeks after the weekend of September 26 could have delayed providing more clarity for some key strangers, but he also agreed that the Big Ten made the right call in the name of the safety of the player.
“Ultimately, you have to go with what the medical experts say and what they tell our people,” Brohm said. “We had a whole task force of people, and although just as a coach does not agree with the coach or the doctor in your team, you ultimately have to do what the league feels is responsible.
‘That I will not advise the Commission (Kevin) Warren or our medical experts second. Yes, I want to play football. Yes, I’m disappointed we did not play, and I wish we could play right now. For those who want to get away from football, we need to find a way to play in the spring, and I’m all for that. ‘
As far as logistics are concerned in moving the season to the spring, there are a lot of questions and problems that will also arise in that course.
Alvarez said head coach Paul Paul Chryst told him about the difficulties of trying to play two seasons within one calendar year, something Chryst experienced firsthand during his lone coaching in the World League.
Players from Chryst’s World League competed in a spring of 10 games, and some joined the NFL later that fall. The physical toll proved to be too much for many of these players.
“(Chryst’s) opinion is that if you are going to do something in the spring, it needs to be condensed,” Alvarez said. ‘Not close to as many games as you would have in a normal season. Hopefully, if you do something like that and everything is cleared up, you’re moving forward to a normal season. ”
As for the immediate future, Brohm said Purdue’s plans ahead were yet to be determined. He said there had been a lot of talks about what the team should do next, but the Boilermakers did not yet have a definitive plan in place.
Alvarez revealed that Big Ten teams were allowed 20 hours of practice a week through the rest of the fall, which essentially continues with the “improved training” model that the NCAA implemented in July with its six-week preseason.
Of those 20 hours, eight would be for eight training and film sessions, one for a daily walk through, one for daily meetings, and then two days away.
“I’m disappointed like everyone else,” Brohm said. “I know our team was devastated today … In the end, we want to play football, so whenever that may be, we want to do it.”
Smith said he met with student-athletes from all of Ohio State’s fall sports teams on Tuesday, and each meeting was as challenging as the next. However, he said his message was for everything to not let this situation go unnoticed for the long term, even though it seems easier said than done at the moment.
“They have a lot of things to thank for,” Smith said. ‘So spend the night going through your depression and waking up tomorrow with a new passion and a new focus on how you will attack today and attack the future. Such is life. That’s what you need to do. ”
