Virus still biggest Big Ten opponent
PISCATAWAY, N. J.» The coronavirus pandemic was considered by many coaches to be the biggest opponent for Big Ten Conference teams coming into this virus-delayed football season, and it certainly has been.
With the annual bragging rights game between Minnesota and No. 18 Wisconsin called off on Tuesday because of another outbreak among the Gophers, five games have been canceled due to COVID-19-related issues since play began on Oct. 23.
And that’s just the games. The opening months of the season have seen Purdue coach Jeff Brohm, Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst and Maryland coach Mike Locksley test positive for COVID-19.
Because of federal laws limiting what the conference’s 14 universities can say about the health of college athletes, it’s hard to say how many have been taken off the field by the virus.
Here is just a snapshot: • Rutgers had 30 players side
lined during a summer outbreak.
• Minnesota went into a game last week with 61 scholarship players. ( FBS programs are allowed 85 scholarships on their roster.)
• Illinois was missing
roughly a dozen players early in the season, including its starting quarterback.
• Maryland had to pause its program because of positive tests and close contact restrictions. A positive test requires a player to isolate for 21 days.
Just getting to this point has been a journey. The conference called off the season in August. Five weeks later,
the league decided to play after receiving guarantees that athletes could be tested for the virus every day and there would be screening protocols for virus-related heart ailments for those who tested positive.
Fans got their football, but there it’s been a struggle for players and coaches.
The pandemic is the first thing Rutgers coach Greg
Schiano discusses at the start of his daily meetings with players. His message after last weekend brought the picture into focus. Eighteen out of 62 scheduled Division I games were canceled or postponed, so 36 teams didn’t get a chance to play.
He continues to dispense the medical advice heard around the country since
March: Wear your mask, wash your hands frequently and practice social distancing.
“What we try to say is we got to take care of here,” Schiano said. “We can’t take care of everywhere. But if we take care of our business and we get a little lucky and we’ll be able to play our whole season, that’s really what we want to do.”