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Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith stands on the field prior to the Buckeyes’ season-opening 49-21 win over Indiana on Aug. 31, 2017 in Bloomington, Indiana. Credit: Colin Hass-Hill | Former Sports Editor

Despite outcries and letters to reinstate the Big Ten season, the conference’s stance has remained the same. 

In a letter to the Big Ten community, commissioner Kevin Warren announced that the Big Ten presidents and chancellors voted in overwhelming support for the fall season’s postponement and that the conference will not revisit its decision to cancel the season. The conference established a Return to Competition Task Force that will plan a return of fall sports in a timely manner. 

The vote by the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors (COP/C) was overwhelmingly in support of postponing fall sports and will not be revisited,” Warren said in the letter. “The decision was thorough and deliberative, and based on sound feedback, guidance and advice from medical experts.” 

Warren said that the most pressing factor that led to the conference’s decision to cancel was the uncertainty surrounding the unknown health risks of the coronavirus. The letter also stated that rising transmission rates and concerns surrounding contact tracing played a factor in the conference’s decision.  

Warren said that financial considerations did not have any impact on the conference’s decision to cancel, while acknowledging the financial implications that will come from the decision. 

Warren said that the conference has assembled a Return to Competition Task Force made up of members from the Council of Presidents and Chancellors, sports medicine and university medical personnel, athletic directors, head coaches, faculty athletic representatives and senior women administrators. 

“In evaluating winter/spring models, we will explore many factors including the number of football games that can reasonably be played from a health perspective in a full calendar year while maintaining a premier competitive experience for our student-athletes culminating in a Big Ten Championship,” Warren said in the letter.

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said in a statement Wednesday that Ohio State President-elect Kristina M. Johnson will be a participant of the task force.  

Referencing the recent calls for the Big Ten to go back on its postponement decision, Smith thanked the fans for their passion.

“This has been a very difficult time for Buckeye Nation, and we want you all to know that we hear your voices and we share your passion,” Smith said in the statement. “We want to play the game. We will have our student-athletes back to competition as soon as possible.”

While recognizing the Big Ten’s decision to postpone and emphasizing the priority of keeping student-athletes safe, Smith said that Ohio State athletics will remain prepared.

“While a decision has been made by the presidents of the Big Ten Conference to postpone the fall season, we view this as a temporary delay, and Dr. Johnson has directed us to prepare for the possibility of bringing at least some of our fall sports back to practice and competition by the end of the year,” Smith said in the statement.  

Smith said that planning for winter and spring seasons for all sports has begun.