The Penn State football parents association is continuing to look for answers, clarity and perhaps even a reversal of the Big Ten’s decision to cancel the fall athletics calendar according to a letter written to Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren and Penn State President Eric Barron.
The Athletic was the first to report on the letter.
In a letter signed by over 80 parents, the organization is looking for more information regarding the Big Ten’s decision to cancel the upcoming fall sports season. The conference is hopeful to play all fall seasons in the spring, although no plan, nor certainty is currently in place that such an objective would actually happen. Multiple high level coaches have publicly shared skepticism that spring football would be a successful venture.
The conference made the call less than a week ago following a vote by all university presidents. Warren did not indicate if the vote was unanimous and in fact indicated much to the contrary during an interview with the Big Ten Network. In turn, Warren offered little substantial insight into the conference’s decision to cancel the season aside from broad ongoing COVID-19 concerns including unknown health risks for people who have recovered from the viral infection.
The letter, which echoes many of the same sentiments shared by parents of Iowa and Ohio State football players, calls for a full disclosure of medical information the Big Ten’s task force had access to as well as a video conference call with the parents of fifth-year seniors to address uncertainty surrounding their eligibility.
The NCAA has yet to rule on various eligibility issue surrounding COVID-19 and the cancelation of the fall season. The NCAA is generally expected to rule in favor of extended eligibility but has yet to do so. Such a decision would not come from the Big Ten.
‘The Big Ten and other Power 5 Universities have committed to putting in the financial resources and time needed to get it right,’ The letter reads. ‘They have succeeded. Why can’t we at least try to have a season? The players want to play.’
The parent letter (the second released by Penn State’s parents) also supports the Big Ten’s previously released schedule which allowed for multiple open dates and was announced just a week prior to the conference’s decision to cancel or at least postpone the season. Parents are also seeking clarity in regards to what changed in that week, a question that Warren was somewhat vague and uninformative when answering on the Big Ten Network following the decision.
As of Saturday evening the Big Ten has not responded publicly to Penn State’s or similar letters written by the parents of student-athletes looking for more answers. It remains unknown if such calls will results in the conference backtracking this week’s decision.
