Just one month after the announcement to postpone football to a spring 2021 season, the Big Ten just announced that they will return to competition on October 24th.
ESPN reports that officials voted to begin the fall 2020 season thanks to new rapid testing opportunities and medical information that has brought new confidence around the safety of players and the ability to complete a season with minimal interruptions. This is going to be a tight season, with no room for error or bumps in the road if the Big Ten wants to participate in playoffs, which was absolutely the motivation for the Big Ten’s return to competitive play.
All 14 Big Ten teams will take the field in just over one month, while Pac-12 is on a more conservative timeline since a good portion of the league has yet to be cleared by public health officials to resume full contact practices.
The Big Ten’s top teams have been pivotal to the decision-making process, namely, Ohio State, who has the season’s most illustrious quarterback in Justin Fields. Fields shared his joy in the decision with a Game of Thrones-style tweet that depicts him in battle as the hit HBO character, Jon Snow.
Let’s goooooo!!! https://t.co/9OVkhXXkWg
— Justin Fields (@justnfields) September 16, 2020
To say that players, coaches and fans are thrilled with this decision would be a total understatement. It seems everyone is looking forward to college football season resuming (safely).
Are you confident that Big Ten officials are making the right choice? Tell us in the comments below!