Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Big Ten to cancel fall sports, according to reports

August 10, 2020
<p>Sparty stands in the tunnel before the game against Illinois on Nov. 9, 2019, at Spartan Stadium.</p>

Sparty stands in the tunnel before the game against Illinois on Nov. 9, 2019, at Spartan Stadium.

Photo by Matt Schmucker | The State News

The Big Ten is reportedly heading towards cancelling all fall sports according to the Detroit Free Press and other reports. According to the Graham Couch from the Lansing State Journal, Big Ten athletic directors will be meeting to make an official vote Monday night at 6:00.

Earlier in the day, a report from respected longtime radio host Dan Patrick surfaced that Big Ten presidents voted to cancel by a vote of 12-2.  According to Patrick, the two who voted against cancelling the season were Nebraska and Iowa, meaning that MSU President Samuel L. Stanley Jr. voted to cancel the upcoming season of fall sports. The Pac-12, according to the report, is expected to follow, with the ACC and Big 12 undecided. The SEC, according to Patrick, is attempting to have teams join them for a fall season.

The Big Ten could not be immediately reached for comment.

Momentum had been building toward this moment after the MAC conference announced that they would be cancelling fall sports last Saturday, just days after the Big Ten and other conferences had released plans and schedules for the fall.

Without college football, Michigan State athletic director Bill Beekman said that the University stands to lose 80-85 million dollars in revenue while speaking at a virtual Lansing Regional Chamber Economic Club program.

Late Sunday night, a group of players including the recently formed “Big Ten United” and the Pac-12’s “We are United” groups started a viral campaign on Twitter called “#wewantoplay" and released a statement from many athletes from all Power Five conferences, calling for more representation for the players, including the idea of unionizing.

With players who are calling for the season to go on, there are others who are also hesitant of that idea, including Michigan State’s Connor Heyward and DeAri Todd.

According to multiple reports, a formal announcement of the cancellation of fall sports will be made on Tuesday.

This is a developing story. Stay with The State News for updates.


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