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Big-10 Moves To Conference Only Schedule for 2020

It's not a total surprise, but the fact that the Big-10 has made the move to a conference-only schedule could begin a domino effect.
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The first potential domino in college football fell on Thursday with the announcement that the Big-10 would play a conference only schedule in 2020. 

The announcement came in a release but the conference as reported by Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde. 

The release shared the intentions of the conference and read in part. 

?We are facing uncertain and unprecedented times, and the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes, coaches, game officials, and others associated with our sports programs and campuses remain our number one priority. To that end, the Big Ten Conference announced today that if the Conference is able to participate in fall sports (men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, football, men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball) based on medical advice, it will move to Conference-only schedules in those sports. Details for these sports will be released at a later date, while decisions on sports not listed above will continue to be evaluated. By limiting competition to other Big Ten institutions, the Conference will have the greatest flexibility to adjust its own operations throughout the season and make quick decisions in real-time based on the most current evolving medical advice and the fluid nature of the pandemic."

Exactly how this might impact other Power Five conferences isn't entirely known at this point. However, the move will impact those teams who had non-conference matchups scheduled with Big-10 opponents in any of those seven sports mentioned in the release. 

As for football, one of the marquee matchups of the season between Ohio State and Oregon, scheduled for week two in Eugene, will now be lost. The change will not impact any SEC teams, as no games are scheduled during the regular season between teams of the two conferences. 

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey made public the comment earlier in the year that his conference would be willing to play a conference only schedule if other conferences canceled their season, or went to the conference only format. 

Regardless of what happens with the other Power Five conferences, even a conference only schedule is preferable to no football at all, but also that is still very much in doubt at this point.   

Follow Greg on Twitter @GregAriasSports and @SIVanderbilt or Facebook at Vanderbilt Commodores-Maven