According to a brief from a lawsuit against the Big Ten brought forward by eight football players from the University of Nebraska, it was not unanimous to postpone football this fall. ESPN reported Monday that Big Ten presidents and chancellors voted 11-3 in favor of postponing the season. According to ESPN, the legal brief outlined that the decision was based on multiple medical factors applying to all 14 Big Ten member institutions. Furthermore, two groups of experts were also reported to have advised the league on the 2020 season.
Nicole Auerbach, of the Athletic, reported that Nebraska, Iowa and Ohio State were the three schools who voted in opposition to the postponement until the spring of 2021.
For Indiana University head football coach Tom Allen, the decision to postpone by the Big Ten was one that he didn’t take well to begin with.
“It’s been very frustrating. This is the season I’ve been looking forward to. There are a lot of guys that played last year that are back, lot of key contributors, this is the season I’ve been looking forward to,” Allen said recently in a Zoom meeting with members of the media.
Allen acknowledged that shortly after the season was shut down, he had some moments where his frustration was getting the best of him, and he made a change.
“I had to flip a switch. I couldn’t allow myself to stay there. The decision was made, and I had to flip the switch and make the best of the situation. I am responsible for how I respond, and that really defines the outcome of what happens next,” Allen said.
Recently, Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren issued an open letter stating that the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors voted in support of postponing fall sports and the decision will not be revisited.
“The decision was thorough and deliberative, and based on sound feedback, guidance and advice from medical experts,” Warren said.
All along, Allen has said that he and his program would do whatever the medical experts said would be best.
“I wanted to play, and I only wanted us to play if the medical experts said it was safe to,” said Allen.
And, while he has accepted not playing, Allen acknowledged it will be “tough” to spend Saturdays at home when other conferences could be playing.
“That’s going to be a tough pill to swallow as every week passes, and you have to sit here and watch it. Just being honest, it’s going to be hard to watch games on a weekend when you’re supposed to be playing yourself. I’m not quite sure what that’s going to feel like yet, never experienced it myself and not necessarily looking forward to it,” Allen said.
Among the Power 5 conferences, the Big Ten was the first to postpone, and since then there have been protests by fans, a lawsuit by players and several discussions by coaches about whether or not their voices were being heard.
Since the decision was made to not play this fall, several Big Ten football coaches have not only voiced their concerns, but have also offered ways to have a season. Ohio State coach Ryan Day proposed a season that would start in January and finish in April prior to the NFL Draft. In addition, Purdue coach Jeff Brohm also unveiled a season plan that would have teams playing in the spring.
And, Allen is not alone in being disappointed with no season. Penn State head coach James Franklin has also voiced his thoughts. According to a story published in the Lehigh Valley Morning Call newspaper, Franklin expressed his displeasure with members of the media on a Zoom call, stating he was “extremely frustrated because we still have very few answers to communicate to our young men and their families about their futures and very little understanding of the factors contributing to the decisions.”
Allen was asked if he felt like the coaches had been heard.
“You just always want to feel like, in any organization that you’re a part of, you have a voice and your voice is heard and you have an impact on how decisions are made. I also understand there’s a lot of decisions made that are above a person and you have to trust those decisions," Allen said.
