The Big Ten's Spring Season: Questions to answer
The 2020 is not canceled.
If all goes as the Big Ten, its coaches, administrators and presidents hope, it will merely have been postponed.
The conference announced Tuesday hopes to move all fall sports to spring, a bold maneuver in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic's devastation on the college football and college sports landscape.
IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?
First and foremost, this is a hope, not a certainty.
College coaching sources in recent days have reminded that any spring plan will be dependent on either the development and distribution of a safe and effective vaccine or America otherwise having COVID-19 under control much more so than it does today.
WHAT DO OTHER CONFERENCES DO?
The Big Ten seemed to want consensus among other Power Five conferences when it made its move. It didn't get it. So at least for today, it goes it alone.
Will it remain alone in sitting out the fall?
If other conferences play, and that may not be truly known for some time, do any Big Ten players try to head elsewhere?
WHAT ARE THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The Big Ten's media partners have a seat at the decision-making table and very much a voice in what happens. They surely did here.
Is the TV money affected? Does it bridge the gap this fall as college programs have faced dire financial circumstances.
It's too early to tell.
WHAT WILL ROSTERS LOOK LIKE
There are going to be seniors who won't take part, most likely, players who might graduate mid-year or have already graduated who might just be ready to move. There will undoubtedly be NFL players who lay out.
The NFL draft will be interesting. Might the NFL be willing to adjust. That is highly unlikely. Could it conduct its draft in-season, as baseball does?
We have no Idea yet what the schedule is going to look like.
WHAT ABOUT 2021?
It Is a big, big ask to have players participate In two full football seasons In less than one calendar year.
This decision was made in the name of safety, but there is nothing safe about playing two football seasons In that short a period of time.
Does the 2021 season get shortened because of this?
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