Following days of reports and speculation that The Big Ten will cancel its 2020 football season, the conference has reached a final decision.
The Big Ten announced on Tuesday that there will be no football this fall. The league will attempt to instead play games in the spring.
The conference’s announcement preceded a similar one from the Pac-12, which says they will not have any athletics this year.
The ACC, Big 12 and SEC are holding firm for now.
Several Big Ten coaches have come forward this week and said they will explore ways to play games outside the conference if the season is canceled, so it remains to be seen if that will actually happen.
The Big Ten has existing TV deals with Big Ten Network, FOX and ESPN. Schools leaving the conference even for just one season could impact these deals. But if the schools are motivated enough to play, some sort of deal likely could be worked out to allow for various scenarios. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh released a lengthy statement this week giving reasons why he believes football should be played this fall.
