Big Ten Rivalry Week Football

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh believes it's possible to pull off a college football season amid the coronavirus pandemic.

 Associated Press File Photo

The Big Ten Conference is expected to announce this week that it is canceling the 2020 fall football season because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to multiple reports.

If the league does go that way, it could be the domino that wipes out the season across the sport, including the Pac-12.

National radio host Dan Patrick reported Monday morning that the Big Ten and Pac-12 already had decided to cancel their seasons and would announce those decisions Tuesday. The Detroit Free Press reported that Big Ten presidents voted 12-2 Sunday to cancel the season, although Yahoo! Sports subsequently reported that no such vote had taken place. A spring alternative has been discussed.

Pac-12 presidents and CEOs reportedly are set to meet Tuesday.

Last week, independent Connecticut and the 12-team Mid-American Conference decided to pull the plug on fall sports. Old Dominion followed suit Monday, raising the number of Football Bowl Subdivision schools to opt out to 14. FBS consists of 130 universities.

β€œWe concluded that the season – including travel and competition – posed too great a risk for our student-athletes,” ODU president John R. Broderick staid in a statement. β€œI know many on and off campus will be disappointed, but we must prioritize the health and safety of our student-athletes, as well as our coaches, staff and fans.”

ODU’s announcement followed a push to play through social media Sunday night by prominent college football players, including quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence (Clemson), Justin Fields (Ohio State), Jayden Daniels (Arizona State) and Grant Gunnell (Arizona).

Thirty-six players publicly had opted out of the 2020 season because of health concerns as of Saturday, according to ESPN. The Big Ten had the most of any conference with 13, including Minnesota receiver Rashod Bateman, Purdue receiver Rondale Moore and Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons. All are expected to be high picks in the 2021 NFL draft.

Brady Feeney, a freshman offensive lineman at Indiana, has suffered β€œpossible heart issues” after testing positive for COVID-19, his mother said in a Facebook post.

β€œHe is still experiencing additional symptoms, and his bloodwork is indicating additional problems,” Debbie Rucker wrote. β€œBottom line, even if your son’s schools do everything right to protect them, they CAN’T PROTECT THEM!!”

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh released a statement Monday β€œadvocating for football this fall.” He cited data accumulated since UM players returned to campus June 13.

According to Harbaugh, Michigan has had 11 positive tests among 893 administered – but none out of the last 353 and none among the coaching or support staffs.

β€œThis isn’t easy. This is hard,” Harbaugh wrote. β€œIt is proven that the conduct, discipline and structure within our program have led to these stellar results. We respect the challenge that the virus has presented; however, we will not cower from it.

β€œWe have developed a great prototype for how we can make this work and provide the opportunity for players to play. If you are transparent and follow the rules, this is how it can be done.”

The Big Ten last week unveiled a conference-only schedule that was supposed to make it easier for the league to pull off a season. The Pac-12 revealed its conference-only slate on July 31.

The two conferences often have operated in lockstep, as longtime Pac-12 chronicler Jon Wilner noted Monday. He and others suggested a standoff could be forming, with the Big Ten and Pac-12 on one side and the ACC and SEC on the other. It's not as clear where the other Power Five conference, the Big 12, stands in relation to its peers.

Speaking on behalf of his league Monday, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey tweeted that the best advice he's received since the onset of COVID-19 is: "Be patient. Take time when making decisions. This is all new, and you’ll gain better information each day.”

He added that the SEC "has been deliberate at each step since March ... slowed return to practice ... delayed first game to respect start of fall semester ... developed testing protocols."

"We know concerns remain," Sankey said. "We have never had a (football) season in a COVID-19 environment. Can we play? I don’t know. We haven’t stopped trying. We support, educate and care for student-athletes every day, and will continue to do so."

The University of Arizona continued its preparations for the delayed season Monday. Veteran players participated in a walk-through practice, lifted weights and met via Zoom. They started the 20-hour-a-week "summer access" program last Friday.

Wildcat newcomers, who arrived on campus the weekend of Aug. 1-2, began workouts and observed the walk-through from a distance.

Training camp could start later this month if the season isn't canceled. The UA is scheduled to open against Arizona State on Sept. 26.

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Contact sports reporter Michael Lev at 573-4148 or mlev@tucson.com. On Twitter @michaeljlev