Nebraska coach Scott Frost said the Huskers will look for another way to play football this fall if the Big Ten cancels the 2020 season.
“We want to play a Big Ten schedule,” Frost said in a press conference Monday afternoon. “Our university is committed to playing no matter what, no matter what that looks like and how that looks. …We certainly hope it’s in the Big Ten. If it isn’t, I think we’re prepared to look for other options.”
Frost’s comments come while the fate of the college football season remains in limbo amid the coronavirus pandemic. The dominoes started to fall on Saturday when the Mid-American Conference postponed all sports. The Big Ten followed with an announcement that it was pausing its scheduled progression to full-pads football practices. On Sunday, sources told Sports Illustrated‘s Ross Dellenger and Pat Forde that high-level conference meetings are being planned for this week across the sport with the expected resolution of postponing fall sports until 2021.
Frost wasn’t the only Big Ten coach to chime in on Monday. Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh released a letter urging the conference to hold the season, saying, “this virus can be controlled and handled.”
Penn State coach James Franklin took to Twitter shortly after Frost’s news conference to also advocate for playing this season.
“I love our players & believe it is my responsibility to help them chase their dreams, both collectively & individually. I am willing to fight WITH them & for our program!” Franklin wrote.
Later, Ohio State’s Ryan Day told ESPN that the Buckeyes would also “explore” their options about playing in another conference if the Big Ten shuts down.
“We need to look at every option. And if that’s the only option, we need to explore it and see if that’s something we can do,” Day said.
The number of people speaking out across college football is quickly growing after a group of Power 5 football players that announced Sunday they hope to create a College Football Players Association as conferences are still trying to decide if they can hold a season. Ohio State’s Justin Fields and Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence’s were among the players who used the hashtag “WeWantToPlay” that swept across social media.
If a season happens, the Big Ten is set to play a 10-game, conference-only schedule this fall. Under the new model, some rivalry games have been shifted to earlier weeks in the schedule, including Ohio State and Michigan facing off on Oct. 24 instead of Thanksgiving weekend.
