The Big Ten Conference, which is already on the pitch and the tension of players and parents over its resolve to cancel fall football, now listens to President Donald Trump.
Trump tweeted Tuesday that he spoke with Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren about resuming the fall season.
“We had a very productive verbal exchange with Big Ten Conference Commissioner Kevin Warren about the early release of Big Ten football,” the tweet said.”That would be great (amazing!) For everyone: players, fans, country.-metre line!
The Big Ten, in an Array, said a White House official had contacted Warren to establish a phone call with Trump.He said Warren and Trump had a “productive conversation.”
“The Conference of the Big Ten and its Back to Competition Working Group, head of the Council of Presidents and Chancellors of the Big Ten (COP/C), are draining all resources to help students-athletes return to the game they love, at the right time, in the safest and healthiest way possible,” he said.
The convention is full of groups of states on the battlefield that will take part in the upcoming election between Trump and Democrat Joe Biden.
Big Ten announced on August 11 that it would move its season to the spring semester due to the fitness hazards associated with the pandemic.The Pac-12 followed suit, joining the Mid-American Conference and Mountain West.Other leagues play shorter seasons.
Warren has been under pressure for three weeks as protests over the resolution intensified.Last week, a Nebraska players’ organization filed a lawsuit to overturn the resolution, and Gov. Pete Ricketts, a staunch Cornhuskers football advocate.
“Before the Big Ten decision, we were already working with the university and public fitness officials on plans to play football this fall,” said Ricketts, a Republican.”We would like the Big Ten to give the flexibility to make the right decisions for them.”
The Associated Press and other media reported last week that Big Ten officials were executing several plans to host a football season, adding one that would kick off the league on Thanksgiving weekend.Soon after, Trump spoke about the state of school football.
“No, I need the Big Ten and all the other balls back, NOW,” Trump tweeted.”Democrats don’t need football back, for political reasons, but take a look at blaming me and the Republicans.Another lie, however, is what we want”.they face!”
Trump downplayed the seriousness of COVID-19 for college-age players.
“They’re big, boys. They’ll be fine,” Trump said Friday.”Big Ten.Open Your Season, Big Ten.”
Trump, before addressing Air Force One on Tuesday, reframed the debate about protecting players and fans as a political debate and said that “the biggest headwind we have is that there are Democrats who don’t need that to happen.”
Trump said he had spoken to Warren and “we had a very intelligent, very productive conversation, and we will be very pleasantly surprised.”
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AP editor Kevin Freking in Washington and school football editor Ralph D.Russo contributed to this report.
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