By Jack Rothenberg
Despite a rise in COVID-19 cases across all Big Ten campuses, the conference has announced a plan to bring back college football this fall. In a press conference Wednesday, University of Maryland Athletic Director Damon Evans explained crucial aspects in the decision making process.
“I want to stress that this decision was made under the guidance of medical professionals,” Evans said. “The health, the safety and the wellness of our student athletes remain paramount and at the forefront of the decision making process.”
Evans said there will be daily antigen testing for players and, in the event of a positive case, the department will administer a second diagnostic test, a PCR test, to confirm the result.
Evans said the earliest a student athlete can return to competition is 21 days after a positive test.
The team is thrilled to return to the field. In a media session Wednesday, Head Football Coach Mike Locksley said the team had an emergency meeting to give the players the good news.
The Big Ten conference has put together an eight game regular season schedule beginning on Oct. 24. This start date will allow all 14 of the Big Ten teams to be eligible for the College Football Playoffs, which begin on Jan. 1, 2021.
The Terrapins kick off their season at Northwestern. Two weeks later, the team will travel to Happy Valley to take on Penn State.
WMUC Radio News 