It's Official. We're Back.

[knapplc]

The Big Ten Conference Adopts Stringent Medical Protocols; Football Season to Resume October 23-24, 2020

 

The Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors (COP/C) adopted significant medical protocols including daily antigen testing, enhanced cardiac screening and an enhanced data-driven approach when making decisions about practice/competition. The COP/C voted unanimously to resume the football season starting the weekend of October 23-24, 2020. The decision was based on information presented by the Big Ten Return to Competition Task Force, a working group that was established by the COP/C and Commissioner Kevin Warren to ensure a collaborative and transparent process.
 
The Big Ten will require student-athletes, coaches, trainers and other individuals that are on the field for all practices and games to undergo daily antigen testing. Test results must be completed and recorded prior to each practice or game. Student-athletes who test positive for the coronavirus through point of contact (POC) daily testing would require a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to confirm the result of the POC test.

“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, Head Team Physician, The Ohio State University and co-chair of the Return to Competition Task Force medical subcommittee. 
 
“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.”
 
Each institution will designate a Chief Infection Officer (CInO) who will oversee the collection and reporting of data for the Big Ten Conference. Team test positivity rate and population positivity rate thresholds will be used to determine recommendations for continuing practice and competition.
 
All COVID-19 positive student-athletes will have to undergo comprehensive cardiac testing to include labs and biomarkers, ECG, Echocardiogram and a Cardiac MRI. Following cardiac evaluation, student-athletes must receive clearance from a cardiologist designated by the university for the primary purpose of cardiac clearance for COVID-19 positive student-athletes. The earliest a student-athlete can return to game competition is 21 days following a COVID-19 positive diagnosis.
 
In addition to the medical protocols approved, the 14 Big Ten institutions will establish a cardiac registry in an effort to examine the effects on COVID-19 positive student-athletes. The registry and associated data will attempt to answer many of the unknowns regarding the cardiac manifestations in COVID-19 positive elite athletes.
 
“From the onset of the pandemic, our highest priority has been the health and the safety of our students.  The new medical protocols and standards put into place by the Big Ten Return To Competition Task Force were pivotal in the decision to move forward with sports in the conference,” said Morton Schapiro, Chair of the Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors and Northwestern University President, and Chair of the Return to Competition Task Force Steering Committee. “We appreciate the conference’s dedication to developing the necessary safety procedures for our students and the communities that embrace them.”
 
“Our focus with the Task Force over the last six weeks was to ensure the health and safety of our student-athletes. Our goal has always been to return to competition so all student-athletes can realize their dream of competing in the sports they love,” said Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren. “We are incredibly grateful for the collaborative work that our Return to Competition Task Force have accomplished to ensure the health, safety and wellness of student-athletes, coaches and administrators.”
 

 

[runningblind]

Isn't the testing available now? Having zero bye weeks is unnecessarily risky. No reason to not start the 10th or at the latest on the 17th to give some flexibility.  This is dropping the ball yet again in my eyes.

 

Tin foil hat me wonders if this is yet another intentional delay to see if the others fail first so they can just cancel again.

[Saunders]

 

[teachercd]

Heck Yeah!

 

 

[Ziebol]

[Alamo City Husker]

5 minutes ago, Saunders said:

 

[Xmas32]

[talaricohusker]

21 days is a bit of over kill if you ask me especially when CDC is 14 days is good to quarantine. They are using all this for research which they should of established this 6 or 7 months ago. Their ignorance really shows here and still pisses me off. I’m glad we’re back though. Let’s kick some a$$ and show the world we are a better team then last year   

[ColoradoHusk]

16 minutes ago, runningblind said:

Isn't the testing available now? Having zero bye weeks is unnecessarily risky. No reason to not start the 10th or at the latest on the 17th to give some flexibility.  This is dropping the ball yet again in my eyes.

 

Tin foil hat me wonders if this is yet another intwntional delay to see if the others fail first so they can just cancel again.

I agree 100% with these thoughts.  The 10/24 date shows no urgency to play, when teams could realistically start 10/10 or 10/17.

 

EDIT:  I do realize Wisconsin is going through a practice shut down right now, but other teams could be playing earlier.

[Toe]

 

 

 

 

[knapplc]

19 minutes ago, runningblind said:

Tin foil hat me wonders if this is yet another intwntional delay to see if the others fail first so they can just cancel again.

 

I don't think that's tinfoil hattish at all. Judging by how they've gone about this in the past month, that would be right up their alley.

[suh_fan93]

 

[teachercd]

Seriously, don't even sniffle within a 2 mile radius of the Big Ten offices.  

[Tom Brokejaw]

Quick, stupid thought.  Is it official the players can make money from their likeness?  Am I crazy to envision a first round draft prospect from Ohio State in this commercial "When I'm not at practice I wear Brand W Covid Face Masks, to make sure I don't let my team down"

[BigRedBuster]

21 minutes ago, runningblind said:

Isn't the testing available now? Having zero bye weeks is unnecessarily risky. No reason to not start the 10th or at the latest on the 17th to give some flexibility.  This is dropping the ball yet again in my eyes.

 

Tin foil hat me wonders if this is yet another intwntional delay to see if the others fail first so they can just cancel again.

Don't get me wrong.  I'm very thankful they finally announced something.

But...yeah...the Oct 24 start date just seems idiotic or a calculated gamble that by then something big will happen and they can change their plan (cancel) all once again.

 

I'm excited and extremely frustrated at the same time.