Big Ten Rumors: Football Aiming for October Restart, Nebraska Athletic Director Reacts
Big Ten rumors are swirling for 2020 football phone call involving President Donald Trump and Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren. Based on that call and a series of tweets from the president, many people are hopeful to see Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan and other Big Ten teams take the field for games this year. Nebraska’s Athletic Director Bill Moos also weighed in on the possibility.
President Trump tweets about Big Ten football happening in 2020
On Tuesday, President Trump tweeted about a “very productive conversation” with Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren. Trump said the call was about “immediately starting up Big Ten Football” and that discussions were “On the one yard line!”
While Trump’s tweets indicate a Big Ten start could be close for 2020, various reports and sources state otherwise. The Big Ten acknowledged there was a call involving the president and the conference. However, the statement they released notes they are still exploring possibilities.
“The Big Ten Conference and its Return to Competition Task Force, on behalf of the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors, are exhausting every resource to help student-athletes get back to playing the sports they love, at the appropriate time, in the safest and healthiest way possible,” part of the statement from the conference (below) said.
In an Omaha-World report, Sam McKewon indicated that it’s not up to Kevin Warren as far as the Big Ten decision goes, but rather the presidents and chancellors. They voted 11-3 against playing any fall sports in 2020 and were ultimately aiming for a 2021 start.
Further adding to the rumors of Big Ten football games happening this year was radio show host Dan Patrick’s reporting about an anonymous source. That source indicated that the Big Ten conference is aiming for an Oct. 10 restart. That would happen only if the conference is able to “pass updated safety measures and procedures.”
Trump’s conversation with Warren and the Twitter comments arrive not long after reports of a lawsuit involving eight Nebraska football players against the Big Ten. In that suit, the players are seeking to overturn the conference decision to not play in 2020.
Nebraska athletic director comments on 2020 football
When asked about the speculation brought up on Patrick’s show about an Oct. restart, Nebraska athletic director Bill Moos said in a text to Omaha World that there’s “nothing to that rumor.” However, he mentioned the possibility of a restart coming a bit later in 2020.
Moos appeared on Big Red Wrap-Up on Tuesday night. He mentioned the Return to Competition Task Force was considering a date around Thanksgiving to have Big Ten games begin. That was the earliest possible date with two other models targeting games in 2021. Those schedules would have just seven or eight games, though.
“Hopefully we can get something happening before too long in a safe manner and get with it,” Moos said during the show. He also talked about it being tough to watch other teams play in September when Nebraska wouldn’t be.
The Big Ten is one of the two powerhouse conferences which decided not to have football games in 2020. The other is the Pac-12. Meanwhile, the ACC, Big 12, and SEC are moving forward with plans to play games this year. The ACC has released a schedule for their first two weeks of games for the upcoming football season.
