Big Ten Teams Unable to Play Due to COVID-19 Will Forfeit

Big Ten teams unable to play scheduled conference games because of eligibility issues related to COVID-19 will forfeit, according to the conference's updated policy.

The Big Ten on Monday released its 2021-22 forfeiture policy, which also states that games affected by COVID-19 will not be rescheduled. Conference athletic directors, presidents and chancellors collaborated with the Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the conference's Sports Medicine Committee on the decision.

Here are the rules regarding forfeits:

Competition involving two teams

"If a team is unable to participate in a scheduled conference competition due to COVID-19, and as a result the competition is unable to occur on the calendar day on which it is scheduled, the competition shall be considered a forfeit by the team unable to participate and shall not be rescheduled. In such case, the team unable to participate shall be assessed a 'loss,' its opponent a 'win,' and conference standings shall be adjusted accordingly."

Competition involving two teams

"If both competing teams are unable to participate in a scheduled conference competition due to COVID-19, and as a result the competition is unable to occur on the calendar day on which it is scheduled, and is unable to be rescheduled, the competition shall be considered a 'no contest.'"

Competition involving three or more teams

"If a team is unable to participate in a scheduled conference competition due to COVID-19, and team performance in the competition impacts Conference standings, a team unable to participate due to COVID-19 will be considered to have forfeited the competition. In such case, a team unable to participate shall be assessed a 'loss,' each of its opponents a 'win,' and conference standings shall be adjusted accordingly.

If team performance in the competition does not impact conference standings, and/or the involved sport is one in which there are no conference standings, no further action shall be taken."

"Although perhaps not ideal given the seriousness obviously of the health and science nature of COVID, it's probably the right thing to do," Penn State Athletic Director Sandy Barbour said of the policy during a recent news conference.

The Big Ten said that these policies went into effect Aug. 20.

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