Big Ten Football Season Could Happen In 2020 Without Michigan, Michigan State, Maryland

It’s starting to sound like the Big Ten will actually have a 2020 football season, though it could be played without a few of the conference’s most prominent schools.

One month after postponing all fall sports, Big Ten presidents and chancellors are expected to revisit to visit their vote. The school’s decision-makers met virtually Sunday to discuss medical updates and a potential schedule for playing football this year, according to multiple reports.

Ohio State team physician Dr. Jim Borchers and Penn State Athletic Director Sandy Barbour lead the Big Ten's medical subcommittee, which has outlined plans for coronavirus testing and presented information about myocarditis to the schools, ESPN reports.

The conference is running out of time to start the season if it hopes for its teams to be considered for the College Football Playoff. If enough schools vote to play fall football, the season could start Oct. 17, according to reports. At least one source says the league may go ahead without at least three members: Michigan, Michigan State, and Maryland.

The availability of rapid tests could be the impetus for schools changing their vote that made the Big Ten one of two Power Five conferences to postpone football. The Pac-12 is the other.

Myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart that has been linked to the coronavirus, has been found in Big Ten athletes and contributed to the postponement of fall sports.

Only three of the conference’s 14 schools voted to play fall football in August. A new vote could take place this week. Nine schools must vote in favor of playing football this year to salvage the 2020 season.

It’s unclear what it will mean if more than eight but fewer than 14 Big Ten schools vote to play.

If Big Ten presidents/chancellors vote to play football in the fall, then all B1G schools will play, sources told @Stadium. Earlier reports indicated if presidents voted to play, some B1G schools might opt not to play, but that will not be the case, source said
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) September 14, 2020

DP on B1G: "The Presidents and Chancellors will vote today. Mich. probably not going to play, Mich. St. not going to play, Maryland's probably [won't] play. But you're going to get Nebraska, Iowa, Purdue, Indiana, Ohio St. Wisconsin wants to play but may not be able to." pic.twitter.com/6QiusRB5t1
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) September 14, 2020

Stadium’s Brett McMurphy has reported that the entire conference will play football if the fall season happens. According to long-time sports broadcaster Dan Patrick, some Big Ten schools might not put their student-athletes on the field in 2020, no matter how the vote shakes out.

Michigan, Michigan State, and Maryland probably won’t play, according to Patrick, who was told the vote will be “contentious.”

Michigan President Mark Schlissel is an immunologist and could potentially prevent the Wolverines from playing football this year. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has advocated for the Big Ten to move forward with football, stating that the season can be played safely with the proper protocols during the pandemic.

Ohio State, Iowa, and Nebraska were the only Big Ten schools that voted in favor of playing football last month.Five Big Ten teams were part of the AP Top 25 preseason poll. Penn State led the conference at No.7 overall. Michigan ranked 16th.

The Big Ten has previously stated that it could play football in the spring, though there is a ton of skepticism that such a season would actually take place.