Big 10, Rutgers Football To Return In Fall – New Brunswick, NJ Patch

NEW BRUNSWICK – The Big 10 is back for the 2020 football season after all. And Rutgers confirmed in a tweet (see below) that it will be ready to go.

The collegiate athletic conference announced Wednesday morning that a fall football season will in fact take place, reversing a decision made last month to cancel the upcoming season due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Significant medical protocols will be adopted by teams, according to the Illinois-based athletic conference, including daily antigen testing, enhanced cardiac screening and data-driven decisions based on positivity rate and population positivity rate on a seven-day rolling average. The decision to return to play was based on information presented by the Big Ten Return to Competition Task Force, a working group that was established by Big 10 Commissioner Kevin Warren.

According to a statement from the conference, the Big Ten will kick off the season on Oct. 23-24. The decision comes following a unanimous vote from the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors.

Daily testing will begin Wednesday, Sept. 30.

“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 Warren in a statement. “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.”

Rutgers welcomed the news:

  • Sidelining any player who tests positive for the coronavirus for at least 21 days
  • Daily antigen testing, with completed and recorded test results required prior to each practice or game
  • Mandating recovering COVID-19 positive players to undergo “comprehensive cardiac testing” and receive clearance from a university-designated cardiologist
  • If a single team’s positive test rate exceeds 5 percent, the team must stop regular practices and competitions for a minimum of seven days and reassess metrics until improve

Rutgers University issued a statement on the return to play shortly after the Big Ten announcement, indicating that school officials could pause the Scarlet Knights’ season if coronavirus cases increase within the football program or at rival schools.

“Assessments of the conditions at Rutgers, as well as those for each opponent, will be made regarding all upcoming games. Individual universities may suspend the return to competition on a week-to-week basis if they or their scheduled opponents are experiencing significant negative changes among players and staff or within the broader university community,” reads the statement, originally posted to NJ.com.

“The Rutgers University Division of Intercollegiate Athletics will abide by those protocols and conditions and will rely on the input of the university’s medical professionals to assure the health and safety of everyone involved in a return to intercollegiate competition this semester.”

The 14 Big Ten institutions will also establish a cardiac database to catalogue any atypical cardiac manifestations in COVID-19 positive student-athletes.

Each university included in the Big 10 will also designate a Chief Infection Officer (CInO) who will oversee the collection and reporting of data for the Big Ten. Team test positivity rate and population positivity rate thresholds will be used to determine best practices for continuing practices and competitions, according to the conference.

“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, the Head Team Physician for 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.”

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