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The Big Ten will kick off its football season the weekend of Oct. 24 after the league’s presidents and chancellors unanimously voted to resume competition, citing daily testing capabilities and a stronger confidence in the latest medical information. The league will attempt to play eight games in eight weeks (with a plus-one game). The conference championship game will be played Dec. 19th, one day before Selection Day for the College Football Playoff. Six Big Ten teams did appear in the AP preseason poll, including No. 2 Ohio State and No. 7 Penn State. Schedules could be released later this week. Unfortunately for Nebraska fans hoping to see Huskers in person at Memorial Stadium, the league’s presidents and chancellors decided there would be no fans inside stadiums this fall.
The Big Ten Conference will use data provided by a Chief Infection Officer to make decisions about the continuation of practice and competition, as determined by team positivity rate and population positivity rate, based on a seven-day rolling average. The daily testing will begin by September 30th.
Team positivity rate (number of positive tests divided by total number of tests administered):
Green 0-2%
Orange 2-5%
Red >5%
Population positivity rate (number of positive individuals divided by total population at risk):
Green 0-3.5%
Orange 3.5-7.5%
Red >7.5%
Decisions to alter or halt practice and competition will be based on the following scenarios:
Green/Green and Green/Orange: Team continues with normal practice and competition.
Orange/Orange and Orange/Red: Team must proceed with caution and enhance COVID-19 prevention (alter practice and meeting schedule, consider viability of continuing with scheduled competition).
Red/Red: Team must stop regular practice and competition for a minimum of seven days and reassess metrics until improved.
Eventually all Big Ten sports will require testing protocols before they can resume competition. Updates regarding fall sports other than football, as well as winter sports that begin in the fall (including men’s and women’s basketball, men’s ice hockey, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, and wrestling) will be announced soon.
Larry Frost, the father of Nebraska football coach Scott Frost, has died. Steve Frost, Scott’s older brother, announced their father’s death on Facebook Wednesday night. Larry Frost was 73. Larry Frost played at NU from 1966 to 1969 after a record-setting career in eight-man football at Malcolm. He coached his sons in high school while compiling a career record of 180-52-3.
Michigan Wolverines quarterback Dylan McCaffrey is opting out of the season and will seek a transfer. The brother of Husker redshirt freshman QB Luke McCaffery had been competing for the starting job with Joe Milton and Cade McNamara but reportedly fell behind in that competition. McCaffrey, who is set to graduate from Michigan in December, would have two years of eligibility remaining because of the NCAA’s extra year of granted eligibility.
The Husker Sports Network and Nebraska Athletics are partnering to stream the Husker baseball team’s first scrimmage of the season at Hawks Field. The Huskers will take the field this afternoon at around 3:30 p.m. and fans can watch all of the action on the Huskers’ social channels, including Twitter (@Huskers), Facebook (facebook.com/huskers) and on Huskers.com. The broadcast will feature live video with the Husker Sports Network team of Greg Sharpe and Ben McLaughlin calling all of the action. The Huskers have eight of their top-10 hitters returning, led by freshman Leighton Banjoff (.341/4/13) and senior Joe Acker (.306/2/8). On the mound, the Husker return five of their top six pitchers in terms of innings pitched a year ago.
The NCAA Division I Council voted Wednesday to delay the start of the men’s and women’s college basketball seasons until the day before Thanksgiving. The season was originally expected to begin on Nov. 10th. NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt said last week on a webinar with athletic directors and other college sports officials that Nov. 25th was under consideration because campuses around the country will be ending their fall semesters.
High School Results and Schedules;
Thursday
– KHS Cross Country @ Harold Scott Invite – 1:00 @ Pioneers Park in Lincoln
– KHS Girls Golf @ Norfolk Invite – 9:30
– KCHS Cross Country @ Ravenna – 4:00
– KHS Softball vs. Columbus – 5:00 @ Patriot Park
– KCHS Softball vs. McCook – 5:00 @ Patriot Park
– KHS Volleyball @ Grand Island – 6:30
Friday
– KHS Football vs. Millard West – (POSTPONED)
– KCHS Football @ Ogallala – (POSTPONED)