Big Ten Offers Small Scheduling Flexibility

Should another game have been cancelled in the Big Ten this week, the Buckeyes may have been able to play Saturday after all.

It wouldn't have helped the Buckeyes this weekend, but the Big Ten has issued another ruling that could be favorable for teams that are stuck in tough situations.

According to ESPN's Heather Dinich, the Big Ten approved a process earlier this month that would allow teams that have had a game cancelled on them because of an opponent's CoVID outbreak to reschedule a game within the conference that same weekend if there were another team in the league dealing with the same issue. Furthermore, a previous meeting between those two teams wouldn't hinder them from playing a second time.

Translation: for example, if Penn State would have had a cancelled game on Saturday against Indiana because of a CoVID outbreak in for the Hoosiers, and if Penn State were healthy and able to play, Ohio State could have filled their opening on Saturday because of Maryland's CoVID-outbreak. The previous meeting between the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions in this scenario wouldn't have prevented them from playing one another.

The only stipulation for rescheduling a game is that both healthy teams needed to have their games for that weekend cancelled by Wednesday of that week.

It's possible we could see more of the scheduling shuffle we saw today in the @pac12. On Nov. 5, @bigten presidents and chancellors approved a process that allows 2 teams w/o COVID issues that have had games cancelled in the same week to play each other. (more)

— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) November 14, 2020

In the Big Ten, the decision has to be made by noon CT on the Wednesday of that week for a Saturday game. Doesn't matter if both teams have already played or are scheduled to play later. That's different from the @SEC which has similar plan but doesn't allow rematches. (more)

— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) November 14, 2020

This could be especially helpful for a team that may be on the fringe of playing the minimum number of games required to compete for the conference championship. At the moment, teams must play at least six games to qualify for a Big Ten title game appearance.

Dinich's report follows the Pac-12 announcement on Friday that Cal and UCLA will play Sunday at noon after both teams had cancelled games against Arizona State and Utah this weekend.

As Nebraska tried to do in Week 2 after Wisconsin cancelled on them, the Big Ten will not permit teams to schedule non-conference games this fall. So this decision comes as something of a middle-ground. Thus far, however, there haven't been two Big Ten games cancelled in the same week.

“It’s hard to look your team in your eye and tell them they can’t play when they’ve done everything you’ve asked them to do,” Day said on the Dan Patrick Show earlier this week. “I know it’s not as easy as just saying, ‘Let’s just go schedule a game.’ There’s a lot of implications and different things that have to go into play, so I totally respect that. But certainly would be in favor of trying to find a way to get it done. But I also understand the complexity of it all.”

-----

You may also like:

Ryan Day on Maryland Cancellation: "It's Very Disappointing"

Urban Meyer reveals he had CoVID-19

How Saturday's Cancellation Impacts Ohio State's Championship Aspirations