James Franklin Suggests Holding 'Big Ten Weekends' in Domes if Football Shifts to Spring
Penn State coach James Franklin suggested Tuesday that midwest cities with domed stadiums such as Detroit and Indianapolis could host "Big Ten weekends" if the football season is postponed until spring.
It was one idea Franklin proposed during an appearance on ESPN's "Get Up" as an alternative to outright canceling the Big Ten season before teams even begin contact practices in August.
"We could use the domes in Detroit, in Minnesota, in Indianapolis and do Big Ten weekends at those venues from a weather perspective," Franklin said. "So we've got a bunch of really intelligent people, we've got a bunch of creative people, let's spend the next month coming up with solutions rather than just calling it quits."
During his interview with host Mike Greenberg, Franklin reiterated his call for the Big Ten to pause before deciding to cancel the 2020 season. Franklin confirmed that conference presidents are scheduled to meet Tuesday morning, when they could affirm a decision either to cancel, delay or continue the season as is.
"Why would we cancel the season right now when we don't even have the answers to what that may mean?" Franklin asked.
On Monday night, Franklin posted a statement on Twitter in which he said, "I implore the Big Ten to consider all possibilities to preserve college football this fall." The Penn State coach, who is entering his seventh season, expanded on that plea with Greenberg.
Franklin noted that the Big Ten's conference-only schedule included built-in mechanisms for delaying its Sept. 5 start. Franklin said that the conference still had time to pause before making the decision to cancel.
"I'm not saying that we should cancel the season at this point and I’m not saying we should definitely play," Franklin said. "But the decision doesn't need to be made right now."
Penn State's football program underwent COVID-19 testing Monday, Franklin said, the same day that the team held its fourth preseason practice. On Monday night, Franklin said he fielded questions from players and parents concerning the unknowns of a canceled season.
Among them: What would cancelation mean for a player's scholarship and eligibility status? Would players get another year of eligibility, including fifth-year seniors? And how would roster sizes work, particularly for incoming freshmen who planned to enroll early?
"There are just so many questions that I don't think from a leadership standpoint you cancel the season and then [have] people ask, 'Well, coach what does this mean for my future?' and we don't have any of those answers right now," Franklin said.
On Monday, Nebraska coach Scott Frost said that his program is prepared to explore other playing options if the Big Ten cancels the season. Asked whether he would be willing to "put together a season of some other sort," Franklin did not go that far but did not dismiss the idea.
"Yeah, I have a responsibility to my players and their families to exhaust every opportunity and option that's out there, yes," Franklin said.
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