Postponing Big Ten Season Forces Players Into Unfair Position

Since moving to postpone the Big Ten football season, league commissioner Kevin Warren has undergone intense scrutiny from players, coaches and parents of players alike. Many feel that the decision was made too quickly and without enough input from proper channels on a university level.

In fact, some high ranking administration members across the Big Ten have come out and questioned whether a vote among school presidents actually took place or whether Warren simply made the decision to postpone the schedule on his own.

Inconsistencies such as this have created a wealth of turbulence across the conference and college football as a whole. Right after the Big Ten postponed it's season, the PAC 12 made the same move, and now all eyes are fixed on the ACC, Big 12 and SEC to see if a similar decision is reached.

And while much still needs to be sorted out on a national level, canceling the 2020 Fall football season is having a stark impact on players at a local level, athletes that have laced their cleats up at Michigan for years that were eager to play this season.

“We had high hopes,” Michigan tight end Nick Eubanks said. “We were basically into camp, and things were going well at some points.”

But right after Warren postponed the Big Ten season, Eubanks' hopes suddenly remained just that-- only hopes.

Right now, Eubanks is a graduate student w has increased his production each year in Ann Arbor, and the 2020 campaign was tabbed to be another career-best for the pass-catching tight end. He, among many other Wolverines, took the news hard.

“Some of the players were crying, and some of the players were thinking what's next,” Eubanks said. “What's in store for them? So, it was a lot of mixed emotions about what was going on.”

For Eubanks, much of his thought process has centered around what his future will hold. Coming back for his fifth year, the U-M tight end could quite easily declare for the 2021 NFL Draft and work on his preparation in the meantime. That is the move offensive tackle Jalen Mayfield made, and it would make a degree of sense considering that Eubanks' draft prospects have gradually risen.

Then again, chasing a Big Ten title and defeating Ohio State is another compelling motivation for Eubanks to stick around.

“I think about that a lot, and I give that some heavy thought every time I walk into Schembechler Hall and just being around the team, you get that same sensation about coming back and just trying to give it one more shot,” Eubanks said. “Even if things don’t go well or do go well, that’s something I’d think about a lot.”

Eubanks mentioned that he's had discussions with Chris Evans, Kwity Paye and Aidan Hutchinson about what to do in light of the COVID-19-interrupted season. Together, the players have not yet reached a conclusion, but Eubanks suggested they might arrive at different places in terms of staying at Michigan or going pro.

“We talk about that and it might be something we’re sitting on in terms of us, what we're going to do next year, whether there’s a season next year,” Eubanks said. “That’s a long thought. But one day, [I'll] sit down with those guys and we’ll talk about it.”

Like many, Eubanks signed the petition generated by Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, so he'd like the opportunity to step onto the field for one more go at it, but this situation is as fluid as any in sports. For the time being, Eubanks is training, and will continue to do so over the next few months. But after that? Who knows.

For better or for worse, the Big Ten has forced players like Eubanks into this position.

What are your thoughts on Eubanks and his future at Michigan? Should the tight end stay and play one more year? Let us know!

Add us as a preferred source on Google