MM 9.14: Big Ten to reportedly vote on return to play with potential October start date

Following the opening weekend of Power 5 football and lots of pushback, the Big Ten is reportedly reconsidering its decision to postpone the fall season, with a vote to determine a potential start date expected to occur in the coming days, according to several reports.

The Big Ten’s Council of Presidents and Chancellors (COP/C) originally made the decision to postpone the season on Aug. 11 due to complications surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. They heard a revised pitch designed to alleviate many of the initial concerns regarding a return to play this fall on Sunday.

Medical, football and television subcommittees from the Big Ten Return to Competition Task Force made the presentation, though no vote has occurred yet, according to multiple reports.

Among the mitigating factors presented was the availability of rapid testing, with student-athletes likely being tested daily to minimize positive tests. Alternative return-to-play protocols for athletes who test positive are also being considered, while finding spaces for athletes who need to quarantine have been brought up as well, according to The Athletic.

The earliest likely date the Big Ten could return to play is Oct. 17, though other dates are in the mix as well, according to Yahoo Sports.

In other news

With the return of the NFL season this Sunday, Maryland football wished its two local teams the best.

Former Maryland football cornerback J.C. Jackson picked up an interception in the New England Patriots’s week one win.

Former Terp guard Kevin Huerter showed off the Atlanta Hawks’s new uniforms.

Former Maryland women’s basketball guard Kaila Charles reflected on how her first rookie regular season went with the Connecticut Sun.

Former Maryland women’s basketball guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough scored a career-high 24 points on Saturday night.

Former Maryland baseball infielder Brandon Lowe continues to crush the ball this season for the Tampa Bay Rays.