The cancellation of fall sports in the Big Ten has left nothing but uncertainty for the league's student-athletes, with the consequences being examined most closely from a football standpoint.
So what's next for the football players who now have no season to play this fall? There is no clear answer to that question, but there needs to be concrete answers from the NCAA and/or Big Ten to the questions below in the near future ... for the sake of all Big Ten players.
• How will the NCAA handle players' years? This one applies especially to the fifth-year seniors; will all athletes just simply lose this year, or will they be given another one in 2021?
If they're not, then all players who were slated to be fifth-year seniors in 2020 are simply out of luck. Seniors, on the other hand, could technically redshirt in 2020 and come back as fifth-year seniors in 2021, but it seems unlikely many would do that, especially those with NFL aspirations.
The uncertainty moving forward and whether or not there will even be a 2021 campaign is another reason players with any pro aspirations whatsoever are more likely to bolt quicker than ever before.
• What are the odds of a football season occurring in the spring, like the Big Ten mentioned yesterday? Slim to none. The Big Ten brought this scenario up likely to just provide hope for the heartbroken athletes and coaches, but it was nothing more than a deflection; even they (the conference) knows this won't happen.
Somehow pulling the season off in the spring would be a logistics nightmare, in regards to veteran players preparing for the NFL Draft in April, dealing with exams and athletes getting ready to graduate, the weather, etc.
Perhaps the biggest stumbling block, however, is the fact that non-senior/fifth-year senior players aren't going to want to play for two or three months in the spring, and then turn around and play another season four months later in the fall.
The physical toll it would take would be extensive, and current and former collegiate and professional athletes have already tweeted out that it's not feasible.
Nice try, Big Ten.
• Can Big Ten teams play in another conference this fall? This is something that Nebraska head coach Scott Frost was very vocal about on Monday, and admitted it's something his program would consider doing.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day echoed a similar sentiment today, especially when considering the ACC, Big 12 and SEC are planning to forge ahead and play their seasons.
Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren was asked yesterday by Big Ten Network host Dave Revsine if a scenario like that would even be possible, and Warren dodged the question altogether.
Revsine came back one more time simply asking for a yes or no answer, but Warren avoided it again by stating he understands a lot of the statements made in recent days (obviously referring to Frost and Nebraska) have been out of emotion and said in the heat of the moment.
It doesn't seem feasible that a conference member would be able to play in another league this fall, but then again, not a whole lot makes sense during these mind-boggling times.
• Can Big Ten players transfer and be allowed to play right away at another school? This is oftentimes the case when a head coach gets fired or a program is put on a postseason ban, with several of the school's best players heading elsewhere.
If the Big Ten and Pac-12 remain the only two conferences who cancel their seasons, it would not be surprising to see outstanding athletes from those two conferences flock to the ACC, Big 12 and SEC.
It would be hard to blame them, especially if they're told they can play right away upon transferring. Simply put, athletes want to compete, and will go wherever they need to go in order to make that happen.
This is a question that needs to be answered as soon as possible, though a little time has been acquired if the three aforementioned conferences don't wind up starting their seasons until mid to late September, as is currently the plan.
Big Ten rosters could be hit hard and potentially even decimated if the above scenario were to play out.
• What guarantees are there of a Big Ten season occurring in the fall of 2021? Simply put, none. One would hope this whole virus ordeal is behind us by then, but many thought in the spring it wouldn't be around in the fall either.
The fact that it has dragged on this long is discouraging, and there are no guarantees this whole debacle won't be around next fall either. College football players — especially those with potential NFL hopes — oftentimes need to have at least somewhat of a plan in place for their future, and the current circumstances aren't allowing that.
Again, the uncertainty surrounding the future of Big Ten football and whether or not there will be a fall season in 2021 is most impactful for the veteran players who have the option of going pro, but also of returning to college for another year.
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