A court filing disclosed Monday shows Big Ten Conference presidents voted 11-3 to postpone the football season, bringing some clarity to a key question raised in a lawsuit brought by a group of Nebraska football players.
Court filing shows Big Ten vote went 11-3 to postpone football season
September 1, 2020 at 12:31AM
The vote breakdown was revealed in the Big Ten's response to the lawsuit.
The court documents did not identify how each school voted, but a person familiar with the outcome said that Iowa, Nebraska and Ohio State voted against postponing the fall football season.
The Big Ten announced Aug. 11 it would move its football season from fall to spring semester because of health risks associated with the coronavirus pandemic. The Pac-12 followed suit, joining the Mid-American Conference and the Mountain West.
The eight football players are seeking the reinstatement of a fall season.
"The Big Ten Conference continues to share the disappointment that student-athletes and families are feeling," the conference said in a statement. "The Big Ten Return to Competition Task Force will continue to be transparent as it actively considers options to get back to competition when it is safe to play."
The lawsuit in Lancaster County District Court contends, among other things, the players are losing a chance for development, exposure for a possible pro career and won't be able to market themselves to eventually capitalize on name, image and likeness revenue opportunities.
The Big Ten filing was a response in opposition to the players' motion for expedited discovery. The filing said the 11-3 vote "far exceeded" the 60% threshold the Big Ten requires.
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