The Big Ten won’t play fall sports. Neither will the Pac-12. The reason, the Big Ten said in a statement Tuesday, is “ongoing health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.” Many athletes wanted to play anyway. Administrators, despite claiming to prioritize those athletes, made a decision for them.
The conferences decided, essentially, that the risks of playing amid the pandemic — or the costs of playing safely — outweigh the pitfalls of not playing.
If that’s the case, it’s fair to wonder: Can college sports not be played at all until the pandemic is over?