Big Ten, Pac-12 cancel 2020 season due to concerns over COVID-19, myocarditis
Two more conferences, the Big Ten and Pac-12, have chosen to cancel the 2020 college football season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. According to separate reports from CBS Sports, both conferences made the decision based on concerns related to myocarditis.
"Myocarditis emerged as a significant health concern that largely led to the Big Ten's decision," wrote reporters Dennis Dodd and Adam Silverstein.
"While the Big Ten's coaches were outspoken about wanting to play, the Pac-12's coaches were largely silent," wrote reporter Ben Kercheval. "Perhaps that is because the league's coaches and athletic directors were reportedly given 'eye-opening' information Monday evening from Pac-12 doctors, specifically regarding myocarditis, a heart condition that can develop as a result of battling the coronavirus."
On August 8, the Mid-American Conference officially canceled its own college football season. Concerns about heart damage were also among the reasons that decision was originally made.
At this rate, will there be a 2020 college football season at all? That remains unclear, but the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences do hope to make up the lost time by playing in the spring of 2021.
This story was updated on August 11 once the Pac-12's decision had been officially announced.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.