The Big Ten Conference announced Thursday (7/9) that the conference will work with a conference only schedule for ALL fall sports.
In a statement put out by the conference, “If the conference is able to participate in fall sports based on medical advice, it will move to conference-only schedules in those sports. Details for (fall) sports will be released at a later date. By limiting competition to other Big Ten institutions, 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. This decision was made following many thoughtful conversations over several months between the Big Ten Council of Presidents and chancellors, directors of athletics, conference office staff, and medical experts, including the Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee.”
The Big Ten also stated that it is prepared to cancel the fall sports season “should the circumstances so dictate.”
Big Ten football teams play a nine game conference schedule but there are reports that say the addition of a tenth conference game is possible.
For Nebraska football, this means the cancellation of non conference games with South Dakota State, Central Michigan, and Cincinnati. This will be the first time Nebraska will have a season without non conference games since it joined the Missouri Valley Conference in 1921.
