No Penn State Football In 2020 As Big Ten Cancels All Fall Sports

PENNSYLVANIA — There will be no Penn State football in 2020. The Big Ten, one of the nation's largest collegiate athletic conferences, voted Tuesday to cancel all fall sports over ongoing coronavirus concerns. They became the first of the NCAA's Power 5 conferences to cancel, and were followed shortly by the Pac-12. The move could serve as a chilling bellwether to other schools and conferences nationwide who are still considering hitting the gridiron this autumn.

The Big Ten did leave the door open for a potential spring season, should conditions improve.

“We know how significant the student-athlete experience can be in shaping the future of the talented young women and men who compete in the Big Ten Conference," Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren said in the announcement Tuesday. "Although that knowledge made this a painstaking decision, it did not make it difficult."

Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour said the school's decision-makers supported the Big Ten's choice, and voted in agreement with the measure.

"A piece of our student-athletes' collegiate experience has been taken from them for reasons beyond their control and for that, I am heartbroken," Penn State Athletic Director Sandy Barbour said in a statement. "I do know our student-athletes are a resilient bunch and will handle today's news with the same resolve as our winter and spring student-athletes did and be better for it in the end."

The conference said they relied on medical advice from their own Sports Medicine Committee and Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases in making the call. The news is an abrupt shift for the Big Ten, as the conference just announced its 2020 schedule earlier this month.

Barbour said he was proud of the in-depth medical plan and protocols created by Penn State officials in preparation of a potential season. Many players and coaches were adamant that these protocols were sufficient to begin the season. Player groups at Penn State and elsewhere took to social media in recent days, urging the conference to find a solution and repeating #IWantToPlay" across social media.

"We are ready to play and we want to play," Penn State tight end Pat Freiermuth wrote on Twitter Sunday evening.

Penn State coach James Franklin wrote late Monday in support of the season, and said that the ongoing uncertainty has been bad for the mental well-being of players.

"While we all agree there is much uncertainty, the best decision right now isn't to cancel the season," Franklin said. "I implore the Big Ten to consider all possibilities to preserve college football this fall...Let's delay, seek clarity, build the safest environment for our guys & make the best decision!"

This view was shared elsewhere in the Big Ten. Nebraska head football coach Scott Frost said Monday he is ready "to look at any and all options" to keep the fall 2020 season alive, including playing outside of the Big Ten, ESPN reported.

Meanwhile, some conferences never really considered playing. The Ivy League and Mid-American Conference canceled the 2020 football season long ago.

The Penn State Football Parents Association released a letter on Sunday evening in support of the season.

"Our sons are regularly tested and contact tracing protocols have been developed to ensure player safety as well as parent confidence," wrote Dianne Freiermuth, the Association president. "The players want to play this season. While risk can never be eliminated, Penn State has minimized this risk and the season can be played in a safe manner."

The Big Ten includes some of the most storied football programs in the country. It's comprised of Penn State, Ohio State, Rutgers, Purdue, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Indiana, Maryland, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan State, Minnesota, and Nebraska.

No decisions have yet been made on winter and spring sports, with scenarios still under consideration. Some of the other canceled sports — men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball — could also compete during an altered spring season, the conference said.