Not surprisingly, the Big Ten is keeping its sports programs on a coronavirus pandemic-induced sabbatical.
In March, the Big Ten announced that all team activities had been suspended until April 6. The suspension was eventually extended through May 4. That essentially scuttled any chance for spring football practice.
Monday, that suspension was extended through the first of next month. From the conference:The Big Ten Conference announced today that it will extend the previously announced suspension of all organized team activities through June 1, 2020, and will re-evaluate again at that time.
This is an additional measure to the previously announced cancellation of all conference and non-conference competitions through the end of the academic year, including spring sports that compete beyond the academic year. The Conference also has previously announced a moratorium on all on- and off-campus recruiting activities for the foreseeable future.
The Big Ten Conference will continue to use this time to work with the appropriate medical experts and institutional leadership to determine next steps relative to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The main priority of the Big Ten Conference is to ensure the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, faculty, fans and media as we continue to monitor all developing and relevant information on the COVID-19 virus.Late last month, University of Iowa president Bruce Harreld stated that he is hopeful the school will be able to resume sports practices June 1. If the 2020 college football season is to start on time and as scheduled, it’s likely that teams will need to begin prep work in earnest no later than the middle of July, at the latest.