The Big Ten has taken a lot of public heat from players and parents over its decision to cancel fall sports. Some of that anger appears to be shared by those who work inside the conference on an official basis, too.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg reported Monday that many within Big Ten programs are angered and frustrated by the cancellation of the Big Ten football season, and the process that led to it.
“Been in this league for 20-plus years,” one league source said. “This has been embarrassing.”
“Everyone is furious,” another added. “Not the way it has ever gone down. And the ramifications are staggering.”
The frustration stems from how the cancellation happened as much as the decision itself. The Big Ten went from releasing a schedule to canceling the season in less than a week. There is confusion about how things changed that quickly. This is in addition to frustration at the lack of communication from the conference.
The different reactions to the Big Ten and Pac-12’s cancellations are evidence of this. Both conferences announced their decisions on the same day. The Pac-12, however, had a call with football coaches the night before the announcement. It also released a document outlining medical information and recommendations, and made key individuals involved in the decision available to the media. The Big Ten did none of that.
Commissioner Kevin Warren tried to address some of the criticism in a recent open letter. That simply made clear the decision would not be reversed. It hasn’t helped quiet the criticism, either. That’s apparently true both inside and outside of the conference.
