Big Ten postpones all fall sports, hopes to play college football this spring

Ohio State, Michigan and the rest of the Big Ten won't be playing football this fall

CINCINNATI — The Big Ten has postponed the 2020 college football season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The league is holding out hope that they'll be able to have a spring season. 

“The mental and physical health and welfare of our student-athletes has been at the center of every decision we have made regarding the ability to proceed forward,” Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren said. "It became abundantly clear that there was too much uncertainty regarding potential medical risks to allow our student-athletes to compete this fall."

Here is the @bigten's official statement on postponing fall sports. pic.twitter.com/BYBBIdgMKz

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) August 11, 2020

This is no surprise, but it doesn't make it any less painful. Other conferences are expected to follow suit. College presidents in the Pac-12 also met on Tuesday to discuss fall sports. 

Multiple college and pro athletes have spoken out about how much this could hurt players across the country. 

"I feel for all college athletes right now," Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow tweeted on Monday. "I hope their voices are heard by the decision makers. If this happened a year ago I may be looking for a job right now."

Offensive lineman Jonah Williams offered similar sentiments on Monday afternoon. He knew what could happen in the coming days, but was holding onto hope that their would be a season. 

"I don't think there has ever not been a college football season," Williams said. "That's tough. I feel for the guys, especially some of the guys I played with who chose to come back for their senior year when they could have come out for the draft. I feel for those guys and I'm interested to see how this plays out, but hopefully they can get some semblance of a normal college season." 

If the entire 2020 college football season gets postponed or cancelled, which appears likely, then the NFL Draft and the combine could look much different in 2021.