Big Ten Conference

Photo: NBC Sports Washington 

(WAND) - In an open letter to the Big Ten Conference community, the league defended its decision to postpone fall sports and said it will not revisit its vote. 

The letter, written by Commissioner Kevin Warren, said the Big Ten understands disappointment and questions about the timing of the cancellation of football and other fall sports seasons, especially since a new football schedule was released just six days before the announcement came. Warren said the vote by the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors (COP/C) was "overwhelmingly" in support of postponement and will not be reconsidered.

Warren called the decision "thorough and deliberative" and said it was based on "sound feedback, guidance and advice from medical experts." 

"Despite the decision to postpone fall sports, we continue our work to find a path forward that creates a healthy and safe environment for all Big Ten student-athletes to compete in the sports they love in a manner that helps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protects both student-athletes and the surrounding communities," he said. 

He went on to explain more about why fall sports were postponed.

"From the beginning, we consistently communicated our commitment to cautiously proceed one day at a time with the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes at the center of our decision-making process," Warren said. "That is why we took simultaneous paths in releasing the football schedule, while also diligently monitoring the spread of the virus, testing, and medical concerns as student-athletes were transitioning to full-contact practice.

While several factors contributed to the decision to postpone the 2020-21 fall sports season, at the core of our decision was the knowledge that there was too much medical uncertainty and too many unknown health risks regarding SARS-CoV-2 infection and its impact on our student-athletes."

Warren listed an "alarming" rise of transmission rates, a lack of knowledge about the virus and concerns about contact tracing as reasons for postponement. Click here to read more about the Big Ten's explanation.

He added financial considerations did not influence the decision to postpone fall sports. 

In moving forward, Warren said the conference created a Return to Competition Task Force that will involve members from the COP/C, sports medicine and university medical personnel, athletic directors, head coaches, faculty athletic representatives and senior women administrators. They will be tasked with planning for the return of fall sports competition "as soon as possible." 

"In evaluating winter/spring models, we will explore many factors including the number of football games that can reasonably be played from a health perspective in a full calendar year while maintaining a premier competitive experience for our student-athletes culminating in a Big Ten Championship," Warren said. "The Big Ten Conference will continue to collect feedback from student-athletes, families, and other constituents and remains in active discussions with its television partners regarding all future plans.

"We have tremendous appreciation and understanding regarding what participation in sports means to our student-athletes, their families, our campus communities and our fans. We will continue to make the best decisions possible for the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes. We appreciate the passion of the Big Ten community and will harness that energy towards providing the best possible experience for all Big Ten student-athletes."