Big Ten commissioner 'very concerned' about college football season

After the Big Ten announced on Thursday that college football and other fall sports will have conference-only schedules if teams play at all amid the worsening coronavirus pandemic, league commissioner Kevin Warren offered a bleak outlook on things while speaking with reporters. 

“I am very concerned about the season," Warren said, per Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports. "I’m an optimistic person, but I am very concerned. We want to take one step at a time.” 

Warren added:

“The biggest thing is that this affords us an opportunity to be nimble and agile in an uncertain time. It all ties back to the health and safety of our student-athletes. It’s easy for us to manage operations, the schedule and logistics when we’re focused on the Big Ten conference.”

Athletic directors for Ohio State and Notre Dame, and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey were among other powerful individuals within the college ranks who questioned plans to conduct football seasons this fall with coronavirus cases spiking throughout portions of the country. 

Ohio State AD Gene Smith said that "we need the virus to be managed differently than it is now because we are at a spike again." 

The Ivy League postponed football and all other fall sports through the end of the year on Wednesday. That conference may ultimately cancel seasons through next summer.