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Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren: 'We may not have sports in the fall'

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The Big Ten announced Thursday that all fall sports would play a conference-only schedule. But the measure still doesn’t guarantee sports will be…
The Big Ten announced Thursday that all fall sports would play a conference-only schedule.
But the measure still doesn’t guarantee sports will be played.
In an appearance on Big Ten Network, conference commissioner Kevin Warren acknowledged the possibility that sports, including college football, are not played this fall because of the coronavirus pandemic.
«One thing we have to realize that this is not a fait accompli that we’re gonna have sports in the fall,» Warren said. «We may not have sports in the fall. We may not have a college football season in the Big Ten.»
The Big Ten became the first major Power 5 conference to eliminate all non-conference competition this fall. The decision was made so that 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,» according to a statement released by the conference.
The Big Ten also said that schools may continue voluntary workouts and that athletes who choose to sit out due to their concerns about COVID-19 will still have their scholarships honored by their institution and «will remain in good standing with their team.»
According to Warren, the Big Ten chose to announce its decision Thursday after a detailed collaborative process that included communication on a regular basis with university chancellors and presidents, athletic directors and head football coaches.
«This allows us to be able to just take another step in this entire process,» Warren said. «This is a complicated time, complicated world that we’re living in with the COVID-19 pandemic, and so what we’re doing is relying on the expert advice of our medical advisors. We have our Big Ten emerging infectious disease committee, and also all of our other Big Ten doctors and trainers.
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«And so we made a vow early on that first and foremost, we would put the health and safety and wellness of our student athletes at the center of all of our decisions. So we felt that this was an appropriate time to make this announcement.”
One of the key deciding factors was maintaining «the flexibility of scheduling all the operations,» which would not have been possible if teams played non-conference opponents.

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