On Aug. 11 early afternoon, the BIG 10 conference announced that they will be canceling football this fall. Not even two hours later the PAC 12 announced not only will they be canceling football in the fall, but they will also be canceling all sports this fall. 

The BIG 10 commissioner Kevin Warren put out a statement regarding the cancelation of football this fall. “ The mental and physical health and welfare of our student-athletes has been at the center of every decision we have made regarding the ability to proceed forward.” 

Many athletes have come out against the BIG 10 and PAC 12  decision along with several coaches. The two leading voices have been quarterback Trevor Lawerence from Clemson and quarterback Justin Fields from Ohio State. Trevor Lawerence became very vocal Sunday night with rumors of some conferences football season being canceled, putting several tweets out that night. Justin Fields started a petition to reverse the BIG 10 decision, and the petition has had over 213,000 signatures. Coaches, including Michigan’s coach Jim Harbaugh, along with Ohio State’s coach Ryan Day, and Penn State’s coach James Franklin, have also shared their negative opinions on the season being canceled. (Detroit News)

However, there are also many athletes and fans who have come out in the press and social media who believe that the right decision has been made and that canceling the season was the only real option. 

As of now the BIG 10 and PAC 12 are the only power five conferences to cancel the season. The BIG 12, the SEC, and the ACC still plan on having a season. The ACC and BIG 12 have released a conference only schedule minus the BIG 12s first game of the season, and the SEC has just come out with a conference only schedule earlier this week. 

The other conferences that have canceled are the MAC, MWC, Old Dominion who’s a part of the Conference USA, and then three independents, University of Connecticut, University of Massachusetts, and New Mexico State.