Big Ten: No padded practices for now; helmets only
MORE: What to watch for as camp opens | With Rondale Moore "1,000 percent" healthy, Purdue kicks off camp Friday | Rondale Moore opting out of 2020 season | Big Ten unveils revised 2020 schedule | Moore will be missed, but Purdue still has cornucopia of skill at receiver | GoldandBlack.com analysis: Moore leaves for NFL
The 2020 Big Ten football season seems to be in growing peril.
On Saturday morning, Pete Thamel of Yahoo reported that Big Ten presidents are meeting to discuss moving forward with the season amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He tweeted that "there's some presidential momentum for cancelling the fall football season. It's unknown if there's enough support to make that decision today."
Later, the Big Ten issued a statement that schools will not progress to padded football practices, which is known as "Day 3" of the acclimatization practice period. Only helmets will be worn.
The Detroit Free Press is reporting that it’s possible a spring football season could be on the table. The Free Press sources were told Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren preferred a spring football season, although no decision had been made.
Purdue opened camp on Friday. The school tweeted video of the workouts, in helmets and shorts. There was no media availability. Purdue, whose latest COVID testing numbers were positive, is slated to open the season Sept. 5 at Michigan.
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The Big Ten announced it was going with a conference-only schedule in early July. The league unveiled its revised schedule on Wednesday.
Today, the MAC became the first FBS league to call off fall sports. In recent days, FCS and Divisions II and III called off fall sports. The MAC will try to play in the spring, along with the FCS ranks.
Speculation from college football watchers indicates that the Big Ten and Pac-12 would be the conferences most strongly considering forgoing fall sports.
Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez told Yahoo Sports on Friday that he’s “very concerned” and “afraid” about the prospect of college football in the fall.
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