There have been a flurry of reports this morning about college athletics, including a Big Ten spokesperson denying that the conference voted to cancel the football season.
Though changes to fall sports wouldn’t technically impact swimming & diving (a winter sport at the college level), disruptions to the fall season could impact fall training and competition for college swimming programs, and the cancellation of football could have major financial implications on college athletic departments in a year where multiple Division I schools have already cut swimming programs. We run through some of the breaking news updates piece by piece below:
Big Ten Spokesman Denies Football Cancellation
A source told radio host Dan Patrick this morning that presidents of the fourteen Big Ten schools had voted 12-2 to cancel the fall football season. That came after weekend rumblings that the conference was leaning towards cancellation.
But a Big Ten spokesman told reporter Pete Thamel (among others) that the Big Ten presidents had not held a vote on canceling the season. TheSpun interpreted the conflicting reports with a theory: “Some believe the Big Ten may have leaked the news itself to see the public’s reaction,” TheSpun writes.
Final Decision Coming Monday Night?
Yet another reporter now says the Big Ten presidents will meet again on Monday night at 6 PM Eastern Time and will make a final decision on the fall football season:
The Big Ten's presidents are scheduled to meet again on a call at 6 o'clock ET tonight, when they'll make the final decision on the football season, per source.
— Graham Couch (@Graham_Couch) August 10, 2020
Trump, Nebraska Senator Weigh In
If the rumor of the vote was a strategy to test public opinion, it certainly stirred up plenty of discussion. Many student-athletes have weighed in on social media with the hashtag #WeWantToPlay, calling for college football, among other sports, to continue – though athletes are also calling for schools to establish health and safety standards, and to allow athletes to opt out and retain eligibility if they wish. Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, arguably college football’s biggest star, has publicly supported that movement.
President Donald Trump weighed in Monday, retweeting Lawrence’s tweet and calling for the college football season to continue:
The student-athletes have been working too hard for their season to be cancelled. #WeWantToPlay https://t.co/lI3CCKZ4ID
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 10, 2020
Thamel, meanwhile, relayed a conversation with an athletic director who told Thamel “Don’t be surprised to see the politicians get involved.”
Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse drafted a letter to the Big Ten, arguing for college football’s fall season to continue. Nebraska was one of two schools (along with Iowa) to vote against the cancellation of the football season, at least according to the Dan Patrick Show.
Michigan Football Coach Jim Harbaugh Writes Letter
On the coaching side, Michigan head football coach Jim Harbaugh also wrote a statement supporting the college football season in the fall and opposing cancellation. Harbaugh cites the school’s testing data, which he says so far has turned up just 11 positive tests over about two months, including zero positive tests among the last 353 administered.
Letter from Jim Harbaugh on wanting to play the season and why he thinks it can happen. pic.twitter.com/wUlf8q4vYr
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) August 10, 2020
Old Dominion Postpones Football & Fall Sports
Meanwhile another college in the FBS (the highest level of NCAA Division I football) has officially postponed its fall season. Old Dominion University of Conference USA has announced that it will postpone all fall sports, including football. The school hopes to play fall sports in the spring.
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) canceled its entire fall season, and UConn (an independent FBS school) also suspended its football program for the year.
Pac-12 Remains Up in the Air; SEC To Hold Impromptu Meeting
The Big Ten and Pac-12 were originally rumored to be the two Power-5 conferences leaning towards cancellation. Reports say the Pac-12 hasn’t yet made a decision, and won’t until tomorrow, at the earliest. The Pac-12 has already had football players threaten to boycott the season if the conference doesn’t meet a list of demands ranging from health and safety protections to name/image/likeness reform to social justice initiatives.
And Sports Illustrated reports that the SEC will hold an impromptu meeting with its presidents and chancellors tonight. Athletic directors from the SEC met for a regularly-scheduled call already today. Dan Patrick had previously reported that the ACC and Big 12 were on the fence about cancelling the season, and the SEC was attempting to get other teams to join the conference for the season.
Covid and Trump banter aside I’m still confused. Will there be Big 10 football this fall????
Admit it, we all click these articles to see what hiswimcoach is going say next.
It’s good to have fans! They’ll love this one:
https://mobile.twitter.com/marksDataHaus/status/1293016019263533058
Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic
— as of 10:30 PM CST on August 10
Total cases worldwide — 20,249,553
Total deaths worldwide — 738,726
Total cases USA — 5,251,446
Total deaths USA — 166,192
I’ve called college swimming coaches all over the country and cannot find anyone who actually believes the NCAA will be hosting collegiate national championship meets in March of 2021. The fact is, that’s disheartening. This crisis is not “Fake News”. It’s not a “hoax”. We all, of course, wish it would “just disappear”. Things do look bleak. Covid-19 is not a political football; nor is it a game. Real leaders don’t engage in wishful thinking when times are tough. They seek solutions, problem… Read more »
Average age of Covid death- 78
Average age of other deaths this year- 76
It’s real but is cancelling football and other sports really the solution? Nothing any country has done so far seems to have worked that well. Why? Virus gonna virus. This situation is a lose lose. Herd immunity is coming whether we like it or not. We have to live with the virus.
It’s not fake news or a hoax, but there is an argument to be made that it is over emphasized. You may not agree with it, but that doesn’t change the fact that there’s a lot of data to support that we can do more than just sit at home, criticize the President, and hope the virus goes away one day.
If posting the statistics of USA Vs World is your point Tigerswim. I would take those numbers at face value. it is obvious that The United States is by far and away the worst country across all statistics. I would never assume its because we have the best healthcare or proven incentives to label something as COVID. I am 100% positive that India and China (about 1/3 of the world population) is testing as much as us, is accurate, and sending those numbers to the correct outlets. I am sure that all of Africa, and Asia is doing the same.
Regardless of what your opinion is… Covid-19 is a political football. Anyone who disagrees with President Trump was going… Read more »
Thank you Maverick. Unfortunately many on the left have been so bamboozled by the MSM that they suffer from cognitive dissonance.
They so badly want to believe that their government or media wouldn’t possibly lie to them or purposely mislead them and are desperately clinging to that illusion.
Orange Man Bad is a simple life philosophy that makes it easier not to think or analyze anything with any kind of depth.
Gotta love Ohio State’s Ryan Day’s attitude. Betcha his players do too. If he had a startup and he asked me to join him, I’d give it serious consideration.
Another thought: some of the commenters on this site are talking like playing D1 football is almost as dangerous as assaulting Omaha Beach on D-Day. These high level D1 programs are protecting and nurturing their athletes. They will be thoroughly tested and cared for.
If a college athlete gets COVID while at home, it’s on that athlete. If he/she gets it while at school, it’s on the university. I can’t imagine a university being ok with having that responsibility.
We’re now hearing that even younger healthy people that get it can have long term negative health side effects. Then imagine if an athlete gets COVID while at school and dies. Imagine how many people would be sued and/or lose their jobs.
I’d like to inform you that his title is “President” and you as a website should address him as such. He has earned that title through election.
Can I call him President Moron? President Imbecile? President Nincompoop? ….
No, duly elected president. Through the Democratic process. If you’d like that to change, do something about it in November.
Which election? The popular one or the electoral college one?
The constitutional one! The one that was created to prevent regionalism.
But we should tear the whole system down because we don’t like the result! Anything we don’t like, just tear it all down.
The electoral college. There’s plenty of YouTube videos that outline why we have it if you don’t already know. Hint, it’s so California and New York don’t pick every President and some of these States that those NY/CA residents are now fleeing to have more emphasis on the election.
I’ll call him President BloodonHisHands
LOL @ Saw Guerra complaining about SwimSwam not respecting the president enough. You are being such a snowflake. Get over it.
And yes, Peregrine, you can call him any of those things thanks to the first amendment!
Negative Bossanova.
FYI:
Number of years in politics.
Biden: 44
Pelosi: 32
Schumer: 38
President Trump: almost 4
Yet President Trump is to blame for everything.
Saw Guerra, I admire what you’re doing.
I recommend all on here go to Trumps inauguration speech. The first 5 minutes will fully explain why the left and the complicit media is coming after him so hard.
Or you could just read BuzzFeeds summary of his inauguration speech and keep bashing him!!
This thread is getting way off track. Please try to keep it relevant to the subject of the article. Thanks.
I can tell that no one in the swim coaching world has served in the military. Glad I got out of this while I could still walk.
Were you worried they were going to call you into to a peaceful protest and an Antifa thug was going to kneecap you?
Yet here you are responding to someone living rent free in your head.
Why is it in life (not just politics), that those with the least experience don’t listen to those with the most experience?
BTW – that’s Vice President Biden, Speaker of the House Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Schumer.
It’s a love/hate relationship @BOSSNOVA has with the constitution. 🙂
Actually, his title is “Mr.” His position is President. That’s why the AP’s style guide says to call him Mr. Trump, just like all past Presidents. It’s a tradition going back to Washington.
I don’t recall many articles starring a Mr Obama. Was he important ?
I saw someone say that the season incentivizes social distancing of the players when they’re not on the field. Definitely something to think about. These guys for sure aren’t going to care about getting covid if they have no season.
Based on what the rates in many programs, it doesn’t seem like they care about getting COVID right now.
Cough -yes fever -yes Concussion – no = Game Time!
Incoming arguments about Trump
Dude was under fire today and completely unfazed…..a real Boss!
And by unfazed you mean he claimed the Pandemic of 1917 (actually 1918 but why deal with facts) brought the end of World War 2 which ended in 1945….You’re right a real boss.
I never understand why we jump on others for getting dates or a detail wrong when they are asked a question. It would be one thing if they were writing something and had time to research, but it’s not unthinkable to get a date wrong or say WW2 instead of WW1 as it happens daily from public figures.