CHAMPAIGN – Let’s not get too excited about the news from the Big Ten Conference office.
When the Big Ten office announced Thursday the league was going with a 10-game conference-only schedule, the word spreading through college athletics pointed toward the move being the first domino to fall, with more expected from the Power 5 leagues this fall. With COVID-19 on the rise in most states across the nation, the upper crust of college athletics still wants to hold out hope to have some kind of football season.
They need those cash registers ringing.
With three non-conference games eliminated from the Illini football schedule, Illinois is now set to open the season at Rutgers on Oct. 3. Of course, that also comes with an asterisk. There’s this important line from FightingIllini.com: The Illinois football schedule is subject to change.
The likelihood of college football this fall seems to be shrinking by the day with the number of virus cases growing in nearly every state.
But, for the moment, this is the best news we have, even if this schedule eliminates those three non-conference games against Illinois State, Bowling Green and Connecticut that were going to pad the Illini win column.
Of course, in this new world, there are no rules set yet. If there’s a season, and if there’s a bowl season, how many wins would it take to become bowl eligible?
But before everyone starts lobbying and looking at those bowl destinations, let’s remind everyone about the most crucial component in the Big Ten’s statement. It read:
“If the conference is able to participate in fall sports (men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, football, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball), it will move to conference-only schedules in those sports.’’
This news seems to still rest on the unsure footing that’s resting more on gravel than concrete, because the shifting news daily makes football and the rest of the college fall sports season sound like a long shot.
The Big Ten even went farther than the “if.’’
“By limiting competition to other Big Ten institutions, the Conference will have the greatest flexibility to adjust its own operations throughout the season and make quick decisions in real-time based on the most current evolving medical advice and the fluid nature of the pandemic,’’ the conference said.
Assuredly, the Big Ten wants to play football. The league’s members need the cash cow to pay for these bloated budgets. The news from earlier this week already suggested football might not save everyone. Despite an endowment in the billions, Stanford will cut 11 sports following the 2020-21 school year.
Illinois hasn’t played a conference only season since 1919, when the Illini were 6-1 to win the Big Ten and a mythical national title, but the Big Ten also warned that things could change drastically.
Said the Big Ten: “As we continue to focus on how to play this season in a safe and responsible way, based on the best advice of medical experts, we are also prepared not to play in order to ensure the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes should the circumstances so dictate.’’
The Big Ten also reminded us those workouts this summer are “voluntary,’’ and if a player doesn’t want to play, it shouldn’t affect his scholarship status
As we’ve come to learn, this is big business more than school spirit, so guys like Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman have plenty of “splaining’’ to do to the folks who cough up big money for those luxury boxes and premium seating.
Do fewer games mean a smaller price tag on a club seat? Whitman begs for patience as the university, the Big Ten and college athletics tip toe through tough times.
“Following today’s announcement that fall sports will compete against only Big Ten conference opponents, we anticipate a flurry of questions from fans, ticket holders, donors and others regarding the implications of that announcement,’’ Whitman said in an official statement. “Many of these questions do not yet have answers because there are still many pending decisions regarding length of season, opponents, home and away schedule dates, ticket prices and more.
“As soon as more information becomes available, we will share it universally using all communication methods.’’
This is a fluid situation. Just look at what happened with the IHSA Thursday after allowing schools to return to workouts just this week. The IHSA revised the return to play rules and will no longer allow physical contact between athletes, effectively shutting down summer basketball scrimmages and 7-on-7 passing leagues among other sports. The amended rules require athletes and coaches to wear masks at all times unless they are socially distancing outside.
The changes were evidently made after consultation with the Illinois Department of Public Health following “an increase in positive cases of COVID-19 among high school teams,’’ the IHSA said.
Elsewhere, the rest of the Power 5 leagues now think they’ve been backed into a corner while being put on the clock to make a decision, according to reports. In a story published by AL.com, the SEC may have no choice but to follow the Big Ten’s path, after there was a sense of surprise throughout the league from the announcement Thursday. Power 5 commissioners hold daily conference calls, and evidently no one outside the Big Ten saw this coming. The Big Ten’s decision came one day after the Ivy League shut down fall sports.
In the big picture, the Big Ten needed to make a plan it can change later. It’s going to be easier to shut down a conference-only season in the middle of the season (or before the kickoff) than calling Illinois State on a Tuesday and saying, “Sorry.’’ It leaves guys like Whitman trying to figure out how to pay the bills when there’s no football money and a shrinking pile of money from the BTN. That’s not going to help him pay off a mountain of debt.
But even with a 10-game schedule, Big Ten football still comes with an if.
