Amid pressure, Big Ten presidents to discuss starting football

ROSEMONT, Ill. - Big Ten university presidents will meet Sunday to hear a presentation about playing a fall football season after all -- maybe as soon as late October -- amid sharp pressure from parents, players, coaches and even the president to kick off.

A person familiar with direct knowledge of the situation said the Big Ten’s Return to Competition Task Force met Saturday, with the medical subcommittee making a presentation to a subgroup of presidents and chancellors.

The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because the Big Ten was not planning to make any announcements about its efforts to return to play, said it was a “positive meeting” that led to the scheduling of a presentation to the full group of presidents and chancellors.

The presentation with include, medical, television and scheduling for football, the person said, but a vote to start a season is not guaranteed to happen Sunday.

The Big Ten postponed its fall season Aug. 11 because of concerns about playing through the COVID-19 pandemic, with presidents voting 11-3 in favor. The conference has faced push back from inside and outside the conference ever since.

On the first Saturday of the football season that included Power Five teams playing, Big Ten teams were idle while athletic directors and university leaders were working on ways to possibly salvage a fall football season.

If things move quickly, the Big Ten could start a season in about a month, but for now there is no timetable for a vote to move forward.