The Big Ten currently has a rule in their COVID protocols that when a student-athlete tests positive for the coronavirus, they cannot return to action until 21 days from their positive test. The first two weeks of that involve some form of quarantine, while the last week involves further testing for the heart and an acclimatization period as the player returns to action in practice.
Every other Power 5 conference holds players out for just 10 days from a positive test, though the SEC does add on a 4-day acclimatization period as well.
So why is this important now?
Well, the College Football Playoff does not have its own set of COVID rules, and instead will fall back on each team’s respective conference protocols. This means that if any Ohio State player tests positive right now, they’d have to miss the semifinals due to the 21-day rule. If a player from Alabama or Clemson or Notre Dame tests positive today, however, they will be free to play in 15 days because of the rules of their respective conferences.
The rules of the Big XII, ACC, and ACC are all in line with the CDC’s 10-day quarantine guidelines, whereas the Big Ten goes above and beyond, all in the name of player safety. Since the rule was implemented, however, the heart issues that created the Big Ten’s largest concerns have not been as prevalent as originally thought. As the months pass, after all, more and more is learned about the effects of COVID-19 every day.
But it’s not just about a positive test for a Buckeye today. The Big Ten rule would also eliminate any Buckeye from the playoffs if they have tested positive at any point since Saturday December 12. Meanwhile, Clemson and Notre Dame could have a player test positive as late as December 22 and they would still have them theoretically available for a semifinal game.
More than any other conference in America, the Big Ten believes in equality of its member schools. Shares are cut equally for the full-fledged members and everybody has the same vote.
this fuckin conference.