A little more than a month after the Big Ten officially decided to call off fall sports in 2020, the conference has reversed its course on its college football season and is set to return.
The Big Ten will return to action on Oct. 23-24, the conference announced Wednesday morning. Athletes will undergo daily testing beginning by Sept. 30. Anyone who returns a COVID-19 positive test will undergo comprehensive cardiac testing as part of their return-to-play protocol. Beyond that, the 14 Big Ten schools "will establish a cardiac registry in an effort to examine the effects on COVID-19 positive student-athletes," the league said.
“From the onset of the pandemic, our highest priority has been the health and the safety of our students," said Morton Schapiro, the chair of the Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors and Northwestern University president and chair of the Return to Competition Task Force Steering Committee. "The new medical protocols and standards put into place by the Big Ten Return To Competition Task Force were pivotal in the decision to move forward with sports in the conference. We appreciate the conference’s dedication to developing the necessary safety procedures for our students and the communities that embrace them.”
Both the college football and NFL seasons kicked off last weekend after unprecedented offseasons amid the global pandemic.
Several major conferences -- including the Big Ten and Pac-12, two of college football's so-called Power 5 divisions -- called off their seasons in August amid uncertainty over the virus.
These decisions came under criticism from some players, coaches and fans -- and even caught the attention of the White House. President Donald Trump rallied against the move, saying he spoke to LSU coach Ed Orgeron and Clemson star quarterback Trevor Lawrence and told them to "go play football."
There were also several prominent figures within the Big Ten who made a push to bring their season back.
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This is a developing story.