Big Ten Announces Return of Fall Sports: Impact for Maryland
The Big Ten officially announced the return of fall sports beginning October 23.
The news comes after days of meetings among Big Ten presidents and chancellors as deliberated through the weekend into Wednesday to review the initial August 11 decision to postpone.
We are BACK 🐢🏈 pic.twitter.com/KocVymzWU3
— Maryland Football (@TerpsFootball) September 16, 2020
"The Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors (COP/C) adopted significant medical protocols including daily antigen testing, enhanced cardiac screening and an enhanced data-driven approach when making decisions about practice/competition. The COP/C voted unanimously to resume the football season starting the weekend of October 23-24, 2020. The decision was based on information presented by the Big Ten Return to Competition Task Force, a working group that was established by the COP/C and Commissioner Kevin Warren to ensure a collaborative and transparent process."
Wisconsin chancellor Rebecca Blank offered insight on Tuesday into the initial decision to postpone fall sports, centering around the inability to adequately test and uncertain heart-related issues surround COVID-19. “Until we have answers to that, we will keep our season postponed,” she said. “Once we have answers to that and to some of those issues and things that we have ways to deal with them effectively, we will try to plan a delayed season.”
The Big Ten addressed those health in the statement on Wednesday. “From the onset of the pandemic, our highest priority has been the health and the safety of our students. The new medical protocols and standards put into place by the Big Ten Return To Competition Task Force were pivotal in the decision to move forward with sports in the conference,” said Morton Schapiro, Chair of the Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors and Northwestern University President, and Chair of the Return to Competition Task Force Steering Committee. “We appreciate the conference’s dedication to developing the necessary safety procedures for our students and the communities that embrace them.”
I’m so happy for our players. They’ve been through a lot and stayed laser focused and committed on doing things the right way to earn the chance to compete on Saturday’s this fall. #MAXIMIZEIT pic.twitter.com/2bTumD8GqL
— Michael Locksley (@CoachLocks) September 16, 2020
With the season set for October 24, Wisconsin director of athletics Barry Alvarez added a nine-game season with the final week serves as championship week, where the first-place team from East plays first-place team from the West division all the way down to add seven quasi-championship games. Alvarez added a finalized schedule is expected later this week.
Along with matchups against each Big Ten East opponent, Maryland originally held cross-division road matchups against Iowa and Northwestern while playing host to Minnesota and Wisconsin. It remains unclear what the specific logistics of the newly amended fall schedule will be and which two teams will remain on Maryland’s schedule, though Northwestern and Wisconsin are the closest schools geographically.
Maryland head coach Mike Locksley maintained confidence last month as the team adapted to the change in plans as the emphasis shifted to the strength and conditioning program. “My strength and conditioning coaches are all working on some hypothetical deals,” Locksley said on August 13. “Our staff has a plan moving forward where we will virtually game plan the season we had already scheduled, so that we're continuing to move forward as a staff and then obviously put our players in the best possible position here over the next few months to be able to play a spring or winter season whenever that is determined.”
While the Terps move forward with plans for a 2020 season despite inaccurate reports of a potential opt-out, Maryland will now have to cope with the existing opt-outs heading into the 2020 season. Seniors Josh Jackson and Johnny Jordan both opted out, while Austin Fontaine and Vincent Flythe are among the six opt outs this season. Junior tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo is not expected to play this fall due to a medical condition as the Terps moved Tyler Baylor and Kam Blount into the tight end room to round out the unit.
While tight end is secure, Maryland is operating with the current roster as fans await the official status of the six Terps, notably Austin Fontaine, Vincent Flythe and Jalen Alexander. Junior lineman Spencer Anderson is a prime candidate to replace Jordan at center to bolster the size of the Terps’ offensive line as the staff will look for final clarity in regards to the opt-outs. Locksley added during the time of ambiguity noted “the guys that have opted out chose to opt out to do the preseason workouts so that’s not an area I’ve thought about just yet” while adding each player will be reviewed on a “case by case basis.”
Maryland now enters the new fall season with a young roster with intrigue, yet inexperience at quarterback as Locksley, the staff and the Terps hit the ground running. It’s a motivated group that, at this point, is ready to play football. The additions through the 2020 class help round out key positional needs, such as Johari Branch at right guard, Mosiah Nasili-Kite at defensive end and Jakorian Bennett at cornerback, while the class brings added energy to the team. The Terps will have to answer the call with their young stars, but with the decision now official and practice resuming on September 11, it’s full steam ahead for the Big Ten season.
