Big Ten to restart football

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A turf manager touches up the Big Ten logo on the football field at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb. Associated Press/Photo by Jacob Hannah/Lincoln Journal Star (file)

Just a month after voting to postpone the fall season until the spring, the Midwestern athletic conference reversed course. After COVID-19 testing with day-of results became available, the Big Ten decided Wednesday on an eight-week football schedule beginning Oct. 23 with a championship game on Dec. 19. “Great News: BIG TEN FOOTBALL IS BACK,” tweeted President Donald Trump, who had pushed colleges to restart games.

How did players respond? Student-athletes across the conference rejoiced. “Let’s goooooo!!!” tweeted Justin Fields, quarterback at Ohio State and a potential candidate for the Heisman Trophy. The NCAA must now decide how to rank Big Ten teams, who will have a shorter season than the SEC, ACC, and Big 12 going into the College Football Playoff.

Dig deeper: Read Ray Hacke’s report on college football players’ demands for unionization.