REPORTS: Big Ten Close To A Return To A Fall Football Season

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Multiple news outlets have been reporting for the past two days that the Big Ten Conference will have football games before the end of the 2020 calendar and possibly in the next month.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Sunday afternoon via “sources familiar with the decision” the expectation is the Big Ten’s Council of Presidents and Chancellors will soon vote to start the season, with the target start date of Oct. 17.

Yahoo! Sports investigative reporter Pete Thamel confirmed Saturday the medical committee of the Big Ten’s return to play task force made a lengthy presentation to eight presidents and chancellors of the league on Saturday afternoon. The next step, which is expected to take place either Sunday or Monday, would be a full presentation of the league’s plan to return to play, which includes coronavirus medical protocols , scheduling logistics and a review of the broadcast television plan from the league’s media partner televisions to all 14 members of the COP/C. It would be after that presentation where a decision on whether a vote would take place.

The Journal Sentinel reported Sunday that vote to play this fall is expected to be more than the required 9-5 margin in order to overturn the original 11-3 vote on August 11 to cancel the league’s fall sports calendar.

According to Thamel, University of Illinois chancellor Robert Jones was among the initial group of eight COP/C members that heard the initial presentation Saturday. Among the eight COP/C members were Jones, Minnesota President Joan Gabel, Nebraska Chancellor Ronnie Green, Iowa President Bruce Harreld, Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway, Ohio State President Kristina Johnson and Michigan State President Samuel Stanley.

Wisconsin athletics director Barry Alvarez, who is the chairperson of the Big Ten’s return to competition task force, announced Wednesday that the football and men’s hockey workouts were being shut down for two weeks due to a recent COVID-19 outbreak. On Sept. 3, Maryland stopped all athletic workouts after 46 student-athletes tested positive for COVID-19 across 10 teams. The Terrapins football program have yet to resume workouts since that initially pausing at the beginning of the month.

In an exclusive interview with NJ Advance Media reporter Steve Politi published Thursday, Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway reaffirmed his agreement with the initial Big Ten postponement on Aug. 11 and said waiting until the spring semester is the best course for the conference to take, citing more time is needed to “learn about the science, different kinds of tests and potential vaccines.”

Holloway played football at Stanford University and said he understood the public relations

“I know other universities are facing unique pressures in the other direction. I get that,” Holloway said. “That’s just where I am right now, We’ll hope for the best, frankly. No president, whether they’re pushing to start tomorrow or in January, none of us wants to risk our students. There are different levels of comfort and confidence about how we can move forward.”

The latest from 2 great sources: Something could be announced by this evening concerning @big football and fall sports, and it is "quite positive." Oct.17 very much in play for FB start, 8 or 9 game schedule, not settled yet.
— Tim May (@TIM_MAYsports) September 13, 2020

A Oct. 17 start date that would allow for an eight-game season in a nine-week window, with a league title game on Dec. 19 in Indianapolis. That schedule calendar would also allow for a Big Ten Conference team to be considered for a College Football Playoff spot as the final four selections are slated to be made on Dec. 20.

Since the beginning of this fall college football season across the country, eight schools (SMU, TCU, Virginia Tech, North Carolina State, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Virginia and Tulsa) have been forced to postpone games due to COVID-19 positive tests during game week.

NOTE: Illini Now/Sports Illustrated will certainly keep you updated Sunday night and Monday for further details on this developing story.