WHERE
WHERE THINGS STAND AND WHAT IS AT STAKE.
AT STAKE.
AT STAKE. >> Reporter: FROM THE MOMENT
THE BIG TEN ANNOUNCED IT WAS
POSTPONING ITS FOOTBALL SEASON,
THERE WAS PUSHBACK.
>> OUR UNIVERSITY IS COMMITTED
TO PLAYING NO MATTER WHAT.
>> Reporter: COACHES AT
NEBRASKA, PENN STATE, OHIO
STATE AND MICHIGAN DECIDED WITH
TIRED PLAYERS, SOME IN
OPPOSITION TO THEIR OWN PLAYERS
FOLLOWED BY POLITICAL PRESSURE
FROM THE PRESIDENT AND
REPUBLICAN STATE LAWMAKERS
INCLUDING HERE IN MINNESOTA.
THEN THIS WEEKEND, THE OTHER
CONFERENCES LIKE THE BIG 12
KICKED OFF THEIR SEASONS.
WORD CAME THAT PRESIDENTS WERE
RECONSIDERING.
RECONSIDERING. >> I'M TOLD YOU CAN EXPECT BIG
TEN FOOTBALL.
TEN FOOTBALL. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY SCHOOLS
WILL PLAY.
WILL PLAY. IT IS GOING TO BE A CONTENTIOUS
VOTE IS WHAT I WAS TOLD.
>> Reporter: RADIO HOST DAN
PATRICK SAYS THE BIG TEN IS
HOPING TO SQUEEZE IN EIGHT OR
NINE GAMES STARTING OCTOBER 17
MADE POSSIBLE BY INCREASED
ACCESS TO RAPID SALIVA TESTING
FOR ATHLETES ALONG WITH THE EYE
TEST PROVIDED BY TEAMS
SUCCESSFULLY RETURNING TO THE
FIELD.
FIELD.
FIELD. >>
FIELD. >> AT THE PROFESSIONAL LEVEL
AND COLLEGE LEVEL, THERE'S A
LITTLE MORE CONTROL BUT I DON'T
THINK WE HAVE SEEN HUGE
OUTBREAKS OR HUGE REPERCUSSIONS.
>> Reporter: DR. BILL ROBERTS
SAYS THAT IS NOT THE ONLY
CONSIDERATION.
CONSIDERATION. THE PROFESSOR OF FAMILY
MEDICINE AND COMMUNITY HEALTH
AT THE U OF M MEDICAL SCHOOL
SAYS THE LONG-TERM IMPACTS OF
COVERED REMAIN UNKNOWN
ESPECIALLY A HEART COMPETITION
KNOWN AS MYOCARDITIS.
A STUDY PUBLISHED FRIDAY STUDY
26 ATHLETES WHO TESTED PUT
POSITIVE FOR COVID-19.
FOUR SHOWED SIGNS OF SCARRING
OF THE HEART BUT ROBERTS SAYS
THAT IS A SMALL SAMPLE AND
QUESTIONS REMAIN.
QUESTIONS REMAIN. >> WE DON'T KNOW THE OUTCOME OF
THAT 15%.
THAT 15%.
THAT 15%. I DON'T THINK WE WILL KNOW
THOSE OUTCOMES UNTIL PEOPLE
START COMPETING AND WE START TO
SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO THE KIDS
WHO HAVE HAD IT WHO ARE NOW ON
THE PLAYING FIELD AND EXERTING
THEMSELVES SO I THINK THAT IS
THE BIG CONCERN.
FOR MANY WHO ARE INVOLVED IN
MAKING THESE DECISIONS.
>> Reporter: AND IT'S NOT THE
ONLY CONCERN.
ONLY CONCERN. LAST WEEK, THE U OF M CAUGHT
MEN'S CUT MEN'S TENNIS DUE TO
LOST REVENUE FROM COVID-19 AND
ON FRIDAY EVEN SOME ON THE
BOARD OF REGENTS EXPRESSED
FRUSTRATION ABOUT NOT KNOWING
HOW PRESIDENT JOAN GABLE MIGHT
VOTE ON A BIG TEN SEASON.
>> OUR PRESIDENT DID NOT INFORM
THE BOARD AND THAT IS A PROBLEM
WE NEED TO ADDRESS GOING
FORWARD.
FORWARD.
FORWARD. >> WE SPENT THE BETTER PART OF
THE MORNING TALKING ABOUT
POTENTIALLY NINE FIGURES IN
LOSSES FOR THE ATHLETIC
DEPARTMENT AND THE IDEA THAT
THE BOARD HAS NOT BEEN A PART
OF THAT I GUESS I WOULD SHARE
HIS FRUSTRATION IN THAT REGARD.
>> IT HAS BECOME A JOKE EVERY
DAY IN THE MEDIA AND I JUST
FEEL THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF
MINNESOTA NEEDS TO BE ON RECORD
AS TO WHAT DIRECTION WE THINK
WE ARE GOING TO BE GOING IN.
>> WOULD YOU BE SURPRISED TO
SEE THEM CHANGE COURSE.
>> NOTHING SURPRISES ME MUCH
ANYMORE.
ANYMORE.
ANYMORE. I THINK IT IS POSSIBLE THEY
COULD CHANGE COURSES AT THIS
POINT.
POINT.
POINT. I
POINT. I HOPE IT IS NOT JUST MONEY.
I HOPE THEY HAVE, THAT PEOPLE
CONSIDER THE SAFETY OF THE
ATHLETES AND THE PEOPLE TAKING
CARE OF THOSE ATHLETES WHEN
THEY MAKE THEIR FINAL DECISION.
>> Reporter: WE STILL DON'T
KNOW WHEN AND IF THIS VOTE IS
GOING TO HAPPEN.
SOME THOUGHT IT WOULD HAPPEN
TODAY.
TODAY.
TODAY. OBVIOUSLY THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
WE DID GET ONE THING CLEARED UP
TODAY.
TODAY.
TODAY. THE CHANCELLOR AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SAID
ESSENTIALLY IF THEY VOTE UP OR
DOWN, ALL THE SCHOOLS ARE IN.
THEY ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE JUST
ONE OR TWO SCHOOLS OPT OUT OR
OPT IN.
OPT IN.
OPT IN. SO WE WILL SEE.
>> AND CORRECT ME IF I AM
WRONG, THEY NEED NINE VOTES TO
GET THIS TO GO?
>> THAT WAS THE TALK. THEY
WANTED AT LEAST NINE VOTES
ASSUMING THEN THAT THEY HAVE
ENOUGH FOR A SEASON AND THEY
HAVE THE OVERWHELMING CONSENSUS
ESSENTIALLY I GUESS IF YOU'RE
GOING TO TELL SOME SCHOOLS THAT
THEY ARE IN WHETHER OR NOT THEY
WANT TO OR NOT.
>> AND YOU MENTIONED THE BOARD
OF REGENTS AND THEY HAD PRETTY
INTERESTING THINGS TO SAY AT
THE END OF YOUR PIECE RIGHT
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. ANY WORD FROM THE U IF THEY
@WILL BE NOW BROUGHT IN BY THIS
UNIVERSITIES PRESIDENT?
UNIVERSITIES PRESIDENT? >> THERE WAS SOME TALK OF THAT.
AT LEAST THEY HAVE BEEN
DRAFTING ESSENTIALLY DOCUMENTS
SAYING WE ARE GOING TO BRING
BACK SPORTS AS SOON AS IT IS
SAFE BUT THAT WAS VOTED DOWN
ESSENTIALLY AS A GROUP, WE SAID
WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH
INFORMATION, WE HAVE ENTRUSTED
THE PRESIDENT AND THE ATHLETIC
DIRECTOR TO MAKE THESE
DECISIONS AND SOME SAID THAT IS
ESSENTIALLY ABOVE THEIR PAY
GRADE.
GRADE.
GRADE. >>
GRADE. >> AND YOU SAID OF VOTE WASN'T
SCHEDULED IS IT GOING TO BE
DONE IN SECRET OR WHAT'S THE
DEAL HERE?
DEAL HERE? >> WELL JUST REMEMBER, GOING
BACK ONE MONTH, WE HEARD ALL OF
THESE RUMORS JUST LIKE THIS
HAPPENING BUT WE NEVER GOT
OFFICIAL TALLY OF THAT VOTE OR
WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS A
FORMAL VOTE OR NOT.
WE HAVE HEARD THERE WERE THREE
NO VOTES BUT AGAIN EVEN THE
BOARD OF REGENTS SAID THAT JOAN