Ten Elected Officials Across Six States Urge Big Ten to Reinstate Fall Sports

With Power Five schools slated to begin their respective fall seasons this weekend, the fight against the Big Ten’s decision continued on Tuesday as state legislators from six states in the Big Ten joined the fight to reinstate fall sports.

While a report noted a potential revote this past Friday for the Big Ten’s decision, the Big Ten has stood tall as they have doubled down on the fall season. According to Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press, ten Senate and House leaders from Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have written a letter to Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren.

“The Big Ten’s current direction is the wrong choice for the conference, for our area universities and—worst of all—for thousands of our local students,” said Lee Chatfield, Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives.

“As a former student athlete, a teacher, a coach, an athletic director, and now as a parent, I know how important sports can be to young people and their development. I also know how much support restarting football and other fall sports has among players, coaches, parents, and the many people who have reached out to our offices demanding a change. The Big Ten should reverse course as soon as possible and do everything possible to help their students restart extracurricular activities safely.”

The news came on the same day that Baylor’s season-opener against Louisiana Tech was postponed as a recent increase in positive COVID-19 cases at Louisiana Tech forced the two sides to reconvene.

"We are obviously very disappointed that we will not be able to open the season this weekend at Baylor," Louisiana Tech athletic director Tommy McClelland said in a statement. "However, with the number of recent positive COVID-19 results and contact tracing, it is simply not possible. We would be putting our student-athletes at risk."

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