Coronavirus News
Coronavirus Big Ten to resume football season in October
The Big Ten announced Wednesday that it will begin its football season during the weekend of Oct. 23-24, backed by daily coronavirus testing for all on-field personnel and enhanced cardiac screenings.Why it matters: The conference was the first Power 5 league to postpone its 2020 fall sports seasons because of coronavirus concerns.Each institution in the…
Coronavirus
The Big Ten announced Wednesday that it will begin its football season during the weekend of Oct. 23-24, backed by daily coronavirus testing for all on-field personnel and enhanced cardiac screenings.
Why it matters: The conference was the first Power 5 league to postpone its 2020 fall sports seasons because of coronavirus concerns.
- Each institution in the conference will have a “chief infection officer” to report testing data and establish a cardiac registry to monitor athletes’ heart health.
- Much of the pressure to suspend college football had been fueled by concerns about myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle. The condition, which has been linked to COVID-19, has been found in at least one-third of Big Ten athletes who have had the virus.
What they’re saying: “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,” said Ohio State team physician Dr. Jim Borchers in a statement.
The big picture: The Big Ten said that a decision on its other fall sports — as well as winter sports that begin in the fall — will be announced “shortly” but noted that all sports would “require testing protocols before they can resume competition.”
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