Madison (OnFocus) – When the Big Ten announced the fall sports season would be postponed indefinitely, the news disappointed players and fans alike. A group of Nebraska players sued the Big Ten Conference, claiming the conference erred and didn’t follow their established procedures.
One of the major points identified in the lawsuit was that the presidents didn’t vote, as their policies stated they should.
The Big Ten’s response clearly refuted this claim, and in a big way.
In court filings by the conference, it was revealed there was indeed a vote held by the conference’s presidents and chancellors. The result was an 11-3 margin in favor of postponing fall sports. Multiple sources have reported the three universities opposing the postponement of the fall season were Iowa, Nebraska, and Ohio State.
The Big Ten’s response to the lawsuit was accompanied by a request that the lawsuit be dismissed. The Big Ten released a statement outlining their responses.
“The Big Ten Conference today filed a response in opposition to the motion for expedited discovery filed by eight University of Nebraska football players rejecting each of three assertions.
“The response demonstrates that the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors (COP/C): 1) voted to postpone the fall sports season; 2) reached an 11-3 decision which far exceeds the 60% threshold required by the Big Ten’s By-Laws; and 3) based its decision on multiple factors including the medical advice and counsel of the Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee.
“The facts are clear that there was indeed a vote that far exceeded the 60% threshold, and the decision by the COP/C was based on the input of several medical and infectious disease experts in the best interest of the health and wellness of student-athletes and the surrounding communities among the 14 member institutions.”
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
