Big Ten moving to conference-only model for all sports this fallThe Big Ten on Thursday announced it will go to a conference-only season for all fall sports, including football, amid "unprecedented times" during the coronavirus pandemic."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," the Big Ten said in a statement."... 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."The Big Ten is the first of the Power 5 conferences to make this type of a major change to its fall sports. The SEC on Thursday said it continues to meet with campus leaders "to determine the best path forward" for fall sports, and Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby said in a statement that he has been advised to "move ahead slowly" and plan "for all available scenarios." Meanwhile, the ACC has already said it would delay all fall sports until at least Sept. 1.SEC league officials and athletic directors are scheduled to meet early next week but have no plans to make any decisions on the fall schedule, sources confirmed to ESPN. SI.com was first to report the meeting."We will talk concepts, just like we have since the beginning, and those concepts have to be more serious given the shifting landscape," an SEC AD told ESPN. "But everything remains fluid, and no one believes right now that we have to [shorten the season to just league games] like the Big Ten did."The Ivy League on Wednesday ruled out playing all sports this fall.If college football can be played this fall, Big Ten presidents and athletic directors preferred the conference-only model, which will eliminate some long-distance travel and help ensure teams are being tested for the coronavirus universally, multiple sources inside the league and around college football told ESPN.Other sports affected include men's and women's cross country, field hockey, men's and women's soccer and women's volleyball.The new conference-only schedules for all fall sports will be released at a later date, the Big Ten said. The conference also said it would continue to evaluate other sports.Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said he would be in favor of playing 10 conference football games."I'm hopeful that's where we end up next week in locking that down," Smith said Thursday. "We've talked about that, and that's our preference."Smith said if they're able to play in September, but something happens later in the month or in October, "we can hit the pause button and provide a window of opportunity for our student-athletes not to be put at risk."We can move games," Smith said. "... There's a flexibility -- I can't say that enough. That's significant."
ACC has delayed the foosball season until at least Sept. 1 as of now. I wonder how that will affect the UNC game if they don't go to a conference only or cancel altogether?
I just am glad to learn COVID-19 can't spread during conference games. Who knew?
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