The screams came first quickly.
Fans complained, media members complained, players complained and protested.
Big Ten’s August 11 resolution to postpone the season indefinitely provoked a wave of negative reactions.
In the weeks that followed, he backed off.
On Thursday, 8 Nebraska players continued the conference. This happened less than a week after the circle of family members of several Big Ten players descended to league headquarters and held a rally. Now there’s a motion from within, led by coaches and sports directors, to start this season sometime in 2020.
A user familiar with the scenario said the momentum for the return of fall football was motivated by recent advances in accelerated testing for COVID-19, as well as concerns about how the postponement of the Big Ten might be just the recruitment schedule. The user spoke under anonymity condition due to the sensitivity of the scenario.
An early thanksgiving week was ruled out as a possibility, which would require games arranged in the coldest season and require practices inside, where science says the virus has a higher likelihood of spreading.
Regardless of the feasibility of the plan, the preference is to bring the League closer to the 12 Majors, the CCA and the SEC, the other 3 Power Five meetings that have progressed with schedules in September.
But this new attempt to revive Big Ten football may be a Hail Mary pitch from the 36-yard yard line with six seconds to play in regulation time.
After all, Big Ten Conference Commissioner Kevin Warren wrote in an August 19 letter that the resolution to postpone fall sports would be reconsidered.
That’s after the presidents and rectors of member schools voted, in their words, “massively in favor” to put the season on the boat until further notice.
They are the ones who make the big decisions about those problems, not the coaches and sports directors. The spread of the new coronavirus has deepened many of the flaws that have existed in all degrees of society. In the world of higher education, it is no different; global education and sports are more divided than ever.
On the same day, the Big Ten announced its resolution to prevent fall sports, Michigan President Mark Schlissel backed the resolve that “there are too many ununderstood aptitude and protection issues lately” to move forward with the competition.
Also that day, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh held one and expressed his displeasure.
Speaking of the players, he said: “They have been engaged, trained and prepared their whole life for this opportunity, and I know how disappointed they are right now. Percentage of his sadness today.”
Harbaugh, of course, is used to taking orders. He’s the one who spends this time of year delivering them.
Even with a 10% payout this year, Harbaugh is expected to earn more than $7 million, which would overshadow the $900,000 salary Schlissel earned in 2019-20.
However, when it comes to playing football, the force belongs to the educational: the coach.
Schlissel and his peers have more vital questions than whether a postponed season can disrupt the recruiting schedule. They will have to take into account the well-being of academics and professors, the future duty related to COVID-19 and the project of their universities as educational institutions.
Football is a precedent in your world.
For coaches, that’s all that matters.
Maybe they need to put the ball back on the tee. But this is one of the few cases where they can’t make that call.
Follow Rainer Sabin on Twitter @RainerSabin.