After weeks of disputes between the Big Ten officials and the rest of the college football world, the Council of Presidents and Chancellors finally caved. The Big Ten announced this morning that they would have a college football season in 2020. This season will begin on the weekend of October 24th. This move is not surprising, as we have seen most other conferences carry on with games without many COVID scares or violations. Still, the conference’s players had their doubts ever since the conference announced that the season would be canceled in early August.
The conference made it clear that they would be taking all the necessary precautions to keep their players safe from COVID-19. They will endure daily rapid testing, beginning on September 30th. Furthermore, the Big Ten makes any players who test positive wait 21 days before resuming football activities.
While the full schedule has not been released, the conference will be playing eight games in eight weeks. The benefit of eight games in eight weeks schedule is it will allow them to play the conference championship on December 19. Also, it will let Big Ten teams be eligible for the College Football Playoff.
The conference’s initial decision to postpone the season faced immense scrutiny. Many players voiced their displeasure. One player specifically was Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. He likely played a massive part in the reversal of this decision. Some players have already opted out of the 2020 season. They include Micah Parsons, Rashod Bateman, and Shaun Wade, to name a few. Subsequently, the conference agreed to revisit the decision.
Now, the Big Ten will be in action on Saturdays in 2020, and we will get to see some top teams. Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, and Minnesota are all projected to be top-ranked teams this season. Iowa and Wisconsin project as top-25 teams and contenders. After a seemingly long battle, the Big Ten players got their wish. They will be playing football in the fall of 2020.
