ROSEMONT, Ill. — The corner of Park Place and Balmoral Avenue in the Chicago suburbs could have been Woody Hayes Drive.
As the sun rose Friday morning over the Big Ten’s headquarters, in the shadow of O’Hare International Airport, parents dressed in scarlet and gray gathered in a parking lot. There were cheers and anticipation. Nearby streets were closed by police. A crisp late-summer morning even felt like football weather.
But there was no game Friday in the outskirts of Chicago. Instead, parents of Ohio State, Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin fall sport athletes assembled in an office park to peacefully protest the Big Ten’s decision to cancel the fall season and the conference’s subsequent messaging and disappearing act by commissioner Kevin Warren, who made Baghdad Bob look like Walter Cronkite.
“When we say, ‘Let us play,’ we don't necessarily mean play in the fall,” said Randy Wade, the father of Ohio State cornerback Shaun Wade. “When we say, ‘Let us play,’ we mean show us transparency. When we say, ‘Let us play,’ we mean communicate. When we say, ‘Let us play,’ we mean our kids are important to us.”
More than two dozen parents offered a series of viewpoints of why they’re dissatisfied with the conference’s lack of transparency and muddled communication over the past week after pulling the plug on fall sports, continuing the narrative that Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields started on various national television platforms.
“Listen, no one is going to argue this isn't a real virus. We all get that, we all understand it,” said Jay Kallenberger, the father of Iowa offensive lineman Mark Kallenberger. “But why is it that we can go from a schedule being put out to six days later a hard shutdown? Every school has its protocols. We at the University of Iowa felt very comfortable with what our medical staff was doing. We had a Zoom call with our team doctor and he went through what they were doing to mitigate the risks. We felt very comfortable after that call that we knew what we were getting into and whether it was going to be safe. Our kids are grown men. They can make their own decision if they want to play or not.”
The Big Ten, a conference of land-grant universities and academic heavyweights, has forever prided itself on steering away from public controversy. But for the past 11 days, the college football world has pointed and laughed hysterically at the grand old conference, as if it’s the outcast on the school playground.
Even Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, whose state just removed the Confederate emblem from its flag, mocked the Big Ten, tweeting, “I’d still rather be in the SEC with no tailgates than in the Pac-12 or Big 10 with no football.”
On Aug. 5, the Big Ten released a revised 10-game conference-only schedule. Teams began fall camp two days later. And on Aug. 11, the season was officially postponed until the spring. In announcing its decision, the conference cited medical input related to the coronavirus and the uncertainty surrounding the virus. But a clear lack of consensus was evident, as Ohio State, Nebraska, Iowa, and Penn State roundly criticized the move, with the Buckeyes and Cornhuskers publicly entertaining the idea of playing anyway.
“These boys have known the risks all along and we have, too,” said Kyle Borland, the father of three-time Ohio State captain Tuf Borland. “We’ve weighed the risk versus the benefits of the game of football for a long time. We felt it was good and right to move forward and, frankly, I don’t think there’s any other information that's come forth that’s changed our opinions. If the Big Ten has other information, or if we can find out what they based their decision on, we’d love to hear it.”
Further angering parents is the fact that Warren’s son, Powers, a junior tight end at Mississippi State, is playing. Kevin Warren said this week that his family had difficult discussions about the 2020 season, an opportunity that the parents in Rosemont wish they could have had with their sons and daughters.
“They could make that family decision,” said Matt Farrell, the father of Ohio State tight end Luke Farrell. “Whether it's hard or easy, they at least got to go through a decision-making process. We weren't given that, and I don't understand why. [Luke] felt really comfortable with what they were doing. I thought it was safer there than anywhere else he could have been.
“They were testing twice a week. They were practicing social distancing. They totally revamped the weight room so players never had to cross paths. They were wearing masks. The players were being good at not doing anything else. They were making sacrifices for months. To have them shut it down, I just don't think it’s right. It’s not fair to the players.”
Ohio State re-opened the Woody Hayes Athletic Center in May, with strict protocols in place that included capacity limits and stringent medical and safety guidelines. A brief shutdown occurred in July after multiple football players tested positive for the coronavirus. They returned for nearly a month with no hiccups before the Big Ten canceled the season.
“Coach [Ryan] Day and his staff have been amazing. Zoom calls, constant communication,” said Candace Wilson, the mother of Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson. “I don’t know that the [Big Ten’s] decision was clear and that [Ohio State] had an explanation as to why. If they had said, ‘You have 20 cases and we don’t feel that we can do this safely, [we would have understood].’ They are children, we want them to be safe. But they did everything. I just think it’s more about being clear as to what happened, who voted. Is there an opportunity to play or are we just here in vain? We want clarity.”
Throughout former commissioner Jim Delany’s 30-year reign, which saw the Big Ten expand its membership and print money, the conference operated by consensus, even if there were disagreements. No one challenged Delany’s rule, and there was no public airing of grievances.
My, how things have changed.
Warren, not even on the job for one year, is already facing a crisis of confidence. There’s an open revolt from the league’s cash cow — Ohio State — and athletic director Gene Smith, who reportedly pushed hard for Warren’s hiring, has not extended a life raft. In a 668-word statement released Wednesday, Smith didn’t acknowledge Warren by name and only mentioned the conference in passing.
Twenty-one minutes prior to Smith’s press release, Warren offered his own letter to the Big Ten community, which only created more questions. He said the decision to postpone fall sports would not be revisited and termed the vote by presidents and chancellors as “overwhelmingly in support” of moving the season to the spring. But multiple administrators have said they were unaware of a vote ever taking place.
On the other side of the country, embattled Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott is not facing the same vitriol, despite his job status being in a precarious position. Pac-12 presidents, chancellors, athletic directors, and players have sided with the conference because of its thorough explanation of the present and future.
“The reason we are here is because we want to have conversations,” Randy Wade said. “The coronavirus might not change. So I want commissioner Kevin Warren to have a Zoom call with all 14 Big Ten parent associations and the athletic directors to clarify some things. The parents have the best interest of the kids. Period, point-blank.”
The SEC, ACC, and Big 12 could all cancel their football seasons in August. They could play games in September and be forced to stop, which would make them red-faced. But even if the Big Ten’s decision proves to be sound and correct, the flawed presentation will haunt them and, most especially, Warren.
If those three Power Five conferences play an uninterrupted season, a nightmare scenario could unfold — shame and irreparable damage to perhaps the biggest brand in intercollegiate athletics.
“It’s very stressful,” Wilson said. “You can tell in your kid’s voice that there’s a sadness. This is what they love doing. If other conferences are playing, it’s going to be hard. They’ve been doing everything they’ve been asked and they will continue doing what they’re asked. Does that mean there will be no COVID cases at all? I doubt that very seriously. But there aren’t going to be zero cases if you go to the grocery store. There’s an implied risk. We understand that. If people want to opt out, that should be allowed without any repercussions.”
First Published August 21, 2020, 4:18 p.m.
