Posted
9/19/20

 



Bulletins of Latest Developments as
Big Ten Reinstates 2020 Season:
  • NU's new schedule is released (Sept. 19, 9:45 a.m.). The full schedule is now listed below on this page. The 'Cats open the season by hosting Maryland and will close by hosting Illinois to defend the Hat. NU gets the aforementioned Terps and Michigan State as cross-division games, dodging OSU, Penn State, and Michigan. The first half of the schedule seems particularly favorable to the 'Cats.
  • October 24 is the latest that NU has started a season since the 1918 flu pandemic, when NU opened the season by playing at Great Lakes Naval Station on October 26, 1918. The last time NU began a season at any time in October was Otto Graham's debut against Kansas State on October 4, 1941.
  • The Big Ten will play eight conference games starting Oct. 23-24 and ending Dec. 12, with NO bye weeks. The ninth week, Dec. 19, will feature a "+1" ninth game for every team, matching the East vs. West teams by rank. The top East & West teams will face each other for the Big Ten title, while on the same day the second team in the East will play the second team in the West, etc.
  • The "regular season" eight games will be six division rivals and two non-division teams (the current crossover rivals). So, NU's schedule will likely be (in alphabetical order):
    • Illinois
    • Iowa
    • Maryland (or Michigan)
    • Michigan State
    • Minnesota
    • Nebraska
    • Purdue
    • Wisconsin
  • The Big Ten "regular season" eight games will not allow public attendance-- no tickets to any of the games.
    • It is not yet clear if player family members will be allowed into games.
    • It is not yet clear if the "+1" games during week nine (including the title game) will have public attendees.
  • NU President Schapiro (per B1G announcement, Sept. 16): "...Our highest priority has been the health and safety of our students. The new medical protocols and standards put into place by the Big Ten Return to Competition Task Force were pivotal in the decision to move forward with sports in the conference."
  • Coach Fitz (per Teddy Greenstein, 8:23 a.m.): "I'm excited for our guys to have a safe opportunity to play the game they love."
  • The Big Ten has released its official announcement, giving details of the medical protocols now in place (8:23 a.m.) (Link)
  • (Sept. 15, 5:45 p.m.) The Far East Wildcat Countdown to Kickoff Clock (below) has resumed counting down to the first game. Why not?
  • Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (5:22 p.m.): Reporting that the Big Ten has approved a plan for fall football, "possibly starting as early as October 17." (Link)
  • Brett McMurphy (2:08 p.m.): "When (if?) Big Ten announces plan to play football, 1st option is to play 8 games in 9 weeks, starting Oct. 16 - 17."