Big Ten Football Players Issue Unity Proposal to NCAA and Conference through The Players Tribune
As if Wednesday morning couldn’t get any more packed with Big Ten football news, more than 1,000 players across the league have released a joint letter to the NCAA and conference through The Players Tribune.
The piece, titled #BigTenUnited and relayed through the College Athlete Unity (CAU), expresses concerns over the upcoming fall season amid the sweeping COVID-19 pandemic. Players are challenging the Big Ten and NCAA to develop a comprehensive plan to ensure health and safety of players… who they specifically deem as the primary stakeholders in the business of college sports.
The timing ironically coincides and/or overlaps with the Big Ten announcing not just its revised 2020 football schedule to begin Wednesday morning, but also a lengthy explanation of COVID-19 medical protocols and procedures…
Many of the measures listed could already meet the players’ request for an in-season medical plan, as highlighted in their Big Ten Unity Proposal.
This follows the Pac-12 last week, where players out west also collaborated to issue their own proposal for this season. The primary difference is that the Big Ten players are not demanding any financial revenue, but do want an automatic medical redshirt option for those who end up testing positive for the virus.
Ohio State is now scheduled to open preseason training camp on Thursday, August 6 due to its season opener now taking place a couple days earlier than originally planned. The Buckeyes, for the moment, are slated to commence the fall schedule come Thursday, September 3 at Illinois.
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