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Ohio State coach Ryan Day criticizes Big Ten, joins other coaches dissenting on conference postponing season

The Big Ten Conference based in Rosemont, Illinois, announced last month that it had postponed all fall sports with the hopes of playing football in spring 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic
UPDATED SEP 11, 2020
Ryan Day (Getty Images)
Ryan Day (Getty Images)

Ohio State coach Ryan Day took to Twitter on Thursday, September 10, and said, “While I understand the Big Ten Conference’s decision to postpone the football season because of health and safety considerations, the communication of information from the Big Ten following the decision has been disappointing and often unclear. However, we still have an opportunity to give our young men what they have worked so hard for: a chance to safely compete for a national championship this fall.”



 

Day said he “couldn't possibly be prouder of how this team, our medical personnel, athletic director, and president have stayed together and managed through this extremely difficult time with so many unanswered questions.”

“These young men and their parents have asked so many questions that I do not have an answer to, but the one that hurts the most is ‘Why can these other teams and players play and we can’t?’” Day said. “Duke is playing Notre Dame, and Clemson is playing Wake Forest this weekend. Our players want to know: why can't they play?”

The Big Ten Conference, the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States, based in Rosemont, Illinois, announced last month that it had postponed all fall sports with the hopes of playing football in spring 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, players have petitioned to play, coaches have raised their voices in support of the players, and even parents of players have protested outside of the conference office, challenging the decision.

Day, who led Ohio State to the conference championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff in his first season at the helm, has gone all-in on the Big Ten. This statement is the first time Day has commented publicly on his team's desire to play this fall since August 17, when he said he supported Justin Fields' petition for the Big Ten fall season to be reinstated. 

Notably, it comes on the same day that Penn State coach James Franklin also made comments on the Big Ten. Franklin told ESPN Radio that they “just haven’t gotten great communication from the beginning” from the conference since its decision to postpone fall sports, which was made one day ago tomorrow. Nebraska president Ted Carter also said during a TV interview on Thursday that “it's time for the Big Ten to put out a plan.”

Last week, Michigan Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh said his team could be ready to play a game in two weeks. Harbaugh has been outspoken against the Big Ten’s decision to postpone all fall sports. 

“Everyone has been ‘We want to play as soon as we can,’” Harbaugh told the Detroit News. “And we’re ready to play. We’d be ready -- we could be ready to play a game in two weeks. Just get the pads on and our guys are trained without a pause since June 15th. So that’s our position, we’re ready to play as soon as possibly we can play.”

Nebraska Cornhuskers coach Scott Frost too condemned the postponement earlier this week and explained, “I think it’s pretty public (knowledge) I don’t think it’s the right decision. I know this institution was capable of playing football and I really believe that’s what is best for the young men and I don’t apologize for that. We’re always going to fight for them and do what’s right for them.”

“All I really want to say about it is, if I get criticized for fighting for my kids and wanting to play football, I’m OK with getting criticized,” Frost said. “I want fighters. I want guys who aren’t afraid to stand up for what they believe in and aren’t afraid of criticism or afraid of a fight. That’s the attitude I want from our players and they need to see it from us and know we are fighting for them.”

Reportedly, the Big Ten will not vote until this weekend at the earliest to decide on when its 2020 football season will be played. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said on Thursday afternoon that he had been in communication with OSU athletic director Gene Smith and that he believes “there's a pretty good argument” to get the Big Ten football season going soon.

On social media, Day’s statement, in light of the other coaches' statements, was perceived as a kind of Civil War in football. “Ryan Day has been an excellent coach so far (17-1), and we're seeing why. His players would probably jump through a brick wall for him right now the way he's fighting for them,” noted sports journalist Stewart Mandel.



 

Journalist Nicole Auerbach wrote on Twitter, “We've known this was Ryan Day (and Ohio State)'s stance for a few weeks, but it's still wild to see a head football coach essentially declare war on his conference.”



 

Journalist Sean Callahan wrote on Twitter, “Ryan Day comes out firing. Big Ten coaches were on a call earlier today with Commissioner Kevin Warren.”



 

Chat Sports founder James Yoder wrote on Twitter, “DAMN Ryan Day just c***-slaps Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren. Love it. Look - I hate Ohio State, but I feel so bad for their fans to have a title-caliber season taken away. Imagine if the Fab Five’s sophomore season was canceled. That’s the equivalent for Michigan fans.”



 

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