The Big Ten has decided to stick with its decision to cancel fall football due to the ongoing pandemic, Commissioner Kevin Warren said in an open letter to the Big Ten community.
The letter was released Wednesday evening.
"The vote by the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors (COP/C) was overwhelmingly in support of postponing fall sports and will not be revisited," the letter stated. "The decision was thorough and deliberative, and 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."
This letter comes after the Big Ten announced earlier in August that the 2020 football season would be canceled, drawing criticism from parents of players.
Additionally, both Michigan President Mark Schlissel and Michigan State President Samuel Stanley voted to cancel the 2020 Big Ten college football season, according to a report from Dan Patrick.
The report added that 12 of the 14 Big Ten presidents voted to cancel the season, with Iowa and Nebraska the only two who voted to play.
In the letter released Wednesday, Commissioner Warren listed the reasons which led to the decision to cancel the fall conference, mainly citing concerns related to the possible spread of the virus. Warren added that financial impact wasn't an influence on this decision.
Read the full letter here.
