New Hybrid Practice Model Emerge as Big Ten Issues Statement

Maryland gets clarity as to when they can suit up as the Big Ten doubles down on a fall season

Over 50 Division I programs saw their fall season cancelled in recent weeks despite decisions from the ACC, Big 12 and SEC to move forward with a fall season. As questions surrounding eligibility and scholarship limits remain, a proposed resolution surfaced on Wednesday to provide guidance for those impacted programs.

Ross Dellenger reports that according to a proposal by the Division I Council expected to be approved, schools can begin practicing 12 hours a week in a proposed model that will run through October 5. The NCAA Football Oversight Committee approved a recommendation Tuesday to grants those impacted teams 12 hours a week of football work with their players this fall, five of which can be spent on the field in contactless drills and seven of which can be spent in strength and conditioning work and meetings. Dellenger also notes the on-field practice time must be “padless and not involve one-on-one contact.”

The Oversight Committee will look to tackle spring football next as the Big Ten was the first Power Five conference to postpone all fall sports. Commissioner Kevin Warren has taken criticism in recent days in light of the decision from the ACC, Big 12 and SEC to proceed with plans for a fall season as parents from Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State, Nebraska and Penn State protested at Big Ten headquarters on Wednesday. The Big Ten issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon which noted “the vote by the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors (COP/C) was overwhelmingly in support of postponing fall sports and will not be revisited.” The NCAA Board of Governors is expected to approve a policy that grants student-athletes eligibility while competing in any amount of competitions this year. Head coach Mike Locksley noted concerns in regard to scholarship limits moving forward but instilled a vote of confidence in the feasibility of a spring season.

“I've had a chance to be on lots of phone calls with coaches and AD’s here in the conference, and I do know that our coaches along with our athletic directors and administrators have been really creative in the thought process behind it,” Locksley said last week. “From the information that I've been able to take from these meetings, there's no doubt that you could play a winter/spring season, and still leave time for a long enough break. More than possibly six months for guys before we start the ‘21 season. I know the goal for us as coaches in the conference here, are to make the ’21 season as normal as possible, and not have it kind of overlap and deal with starting late or not being able to finish, so I know a lot of thought has gone into it and there's still a working group within the Big Ten organization of putting together some infrastructures to see how we can best model this thing, but from the early things that we've been able to discuss I've been really pleased with knowing that it is definitely feasible to do it, while also keeping players’ safety and health in the forefront of it and not playing too many games in one calendar year. So I feel good about the way that infrastructure looks and I anticipate us being able to pull it off.”