The Big Ten will undoubtably say “science” as a face-saving gesture, but it was undoubtedly public, student, and athlete pressure. Most of those States had professional and collegiate sports already being played successfully outside the Big Ten venue. Quite a few college students and athletes have already tested positive for COVID, none hospitalized that I’m aware of. Just about all of the SEC football teams have had positive COVID cases since the Spring. They quarantine until they pass two tests. A few weeks ago some practices and scrimmages were cancelled but i haven’t heard of any the past week. Ed Orgeron, the LSU Coach, said that most of his team had tested positive for COVID antibodies or had already tested positive and were quarantined weeks ago. It wouldn’t be a surprise if many College aged kids have COVID antibodies. There’s no doubt in my mind that safety protocol compliance is a challenge with college aged students.
It was expected they would become Covid-19 but I think they didn't know what to do when the student/athlete return home for breaks, holidays or went back to their off campus apartment in which they lived with other students or none students. I'm not a watcher of the college football until the playoffs but I imagine the Big Ten would do what other schools are doing or did do that currently have played 1 or 2 games so far this season... Create a bubble around their players similar to what the NBA playoffs did (doing currently). Hopefully they College sports will at least do such for their playoffs via creating a safe zone / bubble for the athletes like the NBA hockey. Those that test positive are then put in another nearby safe bubble together until they test negative and can then play again assuming their team is still playing / winning in the playoffs. Regardless, its not a good picture with what the Big 10 did versus what other conferences are doing and I believe the Pac 10 did the same as the Big 10 plus another major sport conference. wrbtrader