Big Ten football is back from the brink of 2020 oblivion, thanks to an 11th-hour effort to upgrade medical protocols—and a lot of public pressure. After embattled commissioner Kevin Warren was joined in a Wednesday press conference by Northwestern president Morton Schapiro; athletic directors Barry Alvarez (Wisconsin), Sandy Barbour (Penn State) and Jim Phillips (Northwestern); and conference medical advisory group chair James Borchers (Ohio State); here are 10 items of interest from a dramatic and divisive period in the oldest and richest college football league.
1. In just six weeks, the Big Ten went from claiming it couldn't safely play because of a) heart-related issues and b) an inability to test/contact trace appropriately, to announcing an October kickoff to the season.