Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Packer Plus
NFL draft could be affected by college football’s decision
Madison — Can the Big Ten successfully move its 2020 football season to the second semester?
With Big Ten officials on the cusp of shutting down all fall sports and moving them to 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, that question must be addressed soon. The obstacles that would have to be overcome in order to stage a Big Ten football season in the second semester are many.
Prepping for the NFL
The 2021 National Football League draft is scheduled to be held from April 29-May 1. If the Big Ten successfully stages the season in the second semester, players who will be eligible for the ’21 draft may decide it is more prudent to skip the season and prepare for their professional careers.
More than two dozen Football Bowl Subdivision players already have decided to skip the 2020 season and prepare for the draft. That list includes 13 from the Big Ten.
No Wisconsin player has announced he will skip the 2020 season to prepare for the draft. But a spring season could force players such as offensive tackle Cole Van Lanen, tight end Jake Ferguson and others to consider their options.
Wear and tear?
The NCAA and league commissioners consistently talk about the welfare of student-athletes.
But consider that any league moving football to the spring could be asking athletes to compete in two seasons in a short span.
How many games can the Big Ten play in the second semester? How long will the season last? Until the end of May? Into June?
Then when would players begin preparing for the 2021 season? In a normal year UW players begin summer workouts the first week of June and start camp in late
July or in the first week of August.
Logic suggests that Big Ten officials, or anyone else who attempts to play football in the spring, likely will have to modify the schedules to reduce the toll on the players. If not, any talk of student-athlete welfare is just talk.
Weather
Playing football in Madison and other Big Ten cities in late February or March or even April can be dicey given the range of conditions, from cold to freezing rain to snow. Can Big Ten officials reach an agreement with NFL teams to use Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ford Field in Detroit and U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis?
Eligibility questions
The NCAA recently announced that players who opt out of the 2020 season because they fear contracting the virus will not lose their scholarships.
However, players want to know if they will lose a year of eligibility and that question remains unanswered. According to the NCAA, all levels of competition have until Friday to determine what eligibility accommodations will be made for players who opt out or whose seasons are cancelled or cut short because of COVID-19.
The unknown
Dealing with COVID-19 has revealed even the best plans can be ruined in a matter of days.
What happens if Big Ten officials learn in the second semester that the virus hasn’t waned and that playing football remains a significant risk? Do they punt until the fall of ‘21?
As the Journal Sentinel did on Sunday, The Detroit Free Press reported Monday that Big Ten officials have decided to shut down the 2020 football season.
A formal announcement is expected Tuesday, but two prominent coaches – Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh and Ohio State’s Ryan Day – used social media to lobby for the Big Ten to keep the 2020 season intact.