The Big Ten Tries to Restore a House Divided

Two weeks after postponing fall sports, the Big Ten still has to repair its fractured message.

Ohio State parents are planning another protest, Nebraska parents have suggested filing a lawsuit against the Big Ten and a prominent attorney is filing Freedom Of Information Act requests of conference universities.

Two weeks after its decision to postpone fall sports, the Big Ten is finding that resistance to its approach hasn't waned. Not surprising, then, that Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour said on a recent podcast appearance that, "this is the first time I've ever seen this league kind of publicly divided."

After speaking with the media last week, Barbour shared a fascinating discussion on the "Representation Without Taxation" podcast, which is hosted by Barbour's agent, Jill McBride Baxter. During the podcast, which included insight into Penn State's finances and future plans, Barbour said it is "absolutely true" that the Big Ten presidents and chancellors made the ultimate decision to postpone the season.

Barbour added that Penn State President Eric Barron "clearly understands the importance of athletics, but probably more to the point the importance of football, on our campus and to our community and to our alumni."

But Barbour, who began her career in athletic administration at Northwestern University in the 1980s, added that a divide became evident once rumors about the decision began to swirl three days before it was announced.

"Whether it was the athletic directors or coaches or state senators or state representatives or fans, players or student-athletes, they really lobbied against the rumor of that decision that obviously came to fruition on [Aug. 11]," Barbour said on the podcast.

Barbour reportedly was among the Big Ten athletic directors who supported continuing to pursue a fall season. In fact, Nebraska athletic director Bill Moos told the Omaha World-Herald that Barbour was among the athletic directors who "pushed hardest" in favor of playing.

But Moos also told the paper in a revealing interview that athletic directors were not included in video meetings with the presidents and chancellors. Instead, Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren represented the athletic directors, Moos told the World-Herald.

"Let me be clear," Barbour said last week. "Dr. Barron wants to play. ... I want to play. Our board [of trustees] wants to play. And you're fully aware that our coaches and student-athletes and their families want to play. But it's never been, play at all costs or under any circumstances."

Since the decision, parents of football players have demonstrated outside Big Ten headquarters; Randy Wade, the father of Ohio State player Shaun Wade, is organizing a meeting outside Ohio Stadium on Saturday and the Nebraska Cornhusker Football Parents asked the Big Ten to produce documents, recordings and transcripts relating to the decision.

On Monday, a lawyer representing the group said that the Big Ten had not responded. The Nebraska parents said they would consider a lawsuit to generate the documentation.

We haven’t heard back from the Big 10. Here’s our lawyer’s statement... pic.twitter.com/rVNnilY3WJ

— Nebraska Cornhusker Football Parents (@ParentsNebraska) August 24, 2020

In addition, attorney Tom Mars, a trial lawyer who also represents college athletes in advocacy cases, has filed FOIA requests for similar documentation from the Big Ten's 13 public universities.

What's the end game for all this? Peace of mind, perhaps, since the Big Ten said has said it will not revisit the decision to postpone. Warren made that clear in an open letter published a week after his announcement.

Ultimately, as Penn State coach James Franklin said last week, fans can understand the reasoning behind the Big Ten's move but still question the method behind it.

"The best way for me to describe it is, I don't necessarily have an issue with the decision," Franklin said, "but I have an issue with the process and I've got an issue with the timing."

Two weeks later, the Big Ten still has fractures to smooth. Perhaps that will happen when the conference unveils its winter football plan, the one Barbour called "very compelling."

"We appreciate the passion of the Big Ten community and will harness that energy towards providing the best possible experience for all Big Ten student-athletes," Warren wrote in his open letter.

That would be a start.

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