There’s a certain irony to the fact that, after coming off a 3-9 year in which it won a single conference game, Northwestern football had one of its best seasons in recent memory yet wasn’t allowed to play in front of the public. Few got to see them play live, as most were sidelined to their couches and chairs, forced to embrace this season from a distance.
On August 11, we thought football wasn’t going to happen. The Big Ten’s decision to postpone the season until at least the spring seemed clear, and while many were advocating for the season to go on — including most players — it didn’t appear that the Council of Presidents and Chancellors was going to change course after its 9-3 vote.