Minnesota Gophers, Big Ten Football To Start Oct. 23

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — It appears that the Minnesota Gophers will be playing football this fall after all. The Big Ten Conference announced Wednesday it will begin sports the weekend of Oct. 23 and Oct. 24 after the its leaders "adopted significant medical protocols" to combat the spread of coronavirus while resuming competition.

The conference will require student-athletes, coaches, trainers and others involved in sports to undergo daily testing for COVID-19.

"Everyone associated with the Big Ten should be very proud of the groundbreaking steps that are now being taken to better protect the health and safety of the student-athletes and surrounding communities," said Dr. Jim Borchers, co-chair of the Return to Competition Task Force medical subcommittee, in a statement.

"The data we are going to collect from testing and the cardiac registry will provide major contributions for all 14 Big Ten institutions as they study COVID-19 and attempt to mitigate the spread of the disease among wider communities."

The decision to start the season is a major reversal for the conference. In mid-August, the Big Ten announced it would postpone its 2020-2021 football season, drawing a mix of relief and ire from fans.

Conference officials said they weighed the risks of COVID-19 while debating moving forward with fall sports. Initially, the dangers posed to athletes, coaches, staff and fans were too much to move forward with the season.

However, despite the PAC following the Big Ten's lead and delaying football, other Power 5 conferences decided to push forward with the season. Notre Dame temporarily joined the ACC and games began this month.