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Commissioner Kevin Warren says B1G ‘made the mature decision’
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Kevin Warren believes, without a doubt, the B1G made the right call in postponing the 2020 college football season. Though he was quiet for the eight days after he initially made the announcement, he’s coming out to defend the league’s decision.
It started on Wednesday evening, when Warren released a two-page letter to the B1G community, explaining the reasons behind the decision. Once again, that messages was cloaked in generalities rather than hard medical data.
Still, Warren broke his silence and was willing to somewhat expound on the conference’s decision. In an interview with Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune, the commissioner says he is comfortable with the final conclusion.
“I know we made a wise decision,” Warren told the Tribune. “Some people heard it, others didn’t. We relied on medical advice, and when you have incredible people in those positions, you have to listen to them. These are not professional athletes. We made the mature decision to protect their health, safety and wellness.”
Those comments from Warren might still not sit well with players, parents, coaches and fans across the conference. After all, Warren’s son Powers, a tight end at Mississippi State, is still planning to play football this year.
Warren did take responsibility for the lack of communication and the failure to provide full transparency. In the days since the league made its decision, many coaches, players and parents have griped about the lack of information that has been provided.
On Friday, parents from several B1G schools are heading to Chicago to protest outside the conference headquarters. That effort is led by Randy Wade, father of Ohio State cornerback Shaun Wade.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB