Big 12 will play fall sports, contrary to Big Ten, Pac-12 decision

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    IRVING, TX (WDAF) — Play ball!

That’s the conclusion the Big 12 Board of Directors came to in an announcement today, Aug. 12, after facing pressure from other major conferences who cancelled their seasons.

“Our student athletes want to compete, and it is the Board’s collective opinion that sports can be conducted safely and in concert with the best interests of their well-being,” chairman and TCU Chancellor Victor Boshini said.

This means that the Kansas Jayhawks and Kansas State Wildcats will prepare to compete this fall. KU coach Les Miles weighed in on the decision Wednesday.

The Big Ten was the first of the Power Five schools to cancel its season, making the announcement just yesterday. The Pac-12 soon followed, paving expectation for other major conferences to end fall sports for 2020.

“As time progressed and after hours of discussion… it became abundantly clear that there was too much uncertainty regarding potential medical risks to allow our student-athletes to compete this fall,” Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren said.

However, Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said he thinks the conference can keep up with testing and sanitation.

“Opinions vary regarding the best path forward, as we’ve seen throughout higher education and our society overall, but we are comfortable in our institutions’ ability to provide a structured training environment, rigorous testing and surveillance, hospital quality sanitation and mitigation practices that optimize the health and safety of our student-athletes,” he said.

Read the full statement on the Big 12 Sports website.

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