Dan Patrick: “You Can Expect Big Ten Football, But Not All Schools Will Be Playing”

According to a report from Dan Patrick, there will be a new vote on the Big Ten’s football season involving the presidents and chancellors of the league on Monday afternoon. Patrick says that there “will be” Big Ten football, but he’s not sure how many schools will be participating.

Patrick’s report comes in contrast to what Brett McMurphy of Stadium reported on Sunday night – that if the Big Ten votes to play, all schools will play.

Patrick’s report suggests that a number of schools – potentially Michigan, Michigan State, Maryland Northwestern – could vote no and sit out the season. Here’s the full quote:

“There was a lot reported over the weekend and everything I saw – and these are different publications – everybody was pretty much handed the same kind of information. I’m told the Big Ten – the presidents and chancellors are going to vote this afternoon. That’s what I was told yesterday – that they’re going to vote this afternoon. They’re trying to get nine votes.

There is real, real tangible evidence and optimism here that they’re going to be able to do these tests and they’re going to get the rapid testing. Not everyone is the Big Ten is going to play but there is real optimism from what I heard yesterday from my source.

What’s going to happen is that they’re going to try to get nine games, maybe eight games, and what they’re going to try to do then is ‘who passes the look test?’ Because you might not play enough games as the ACC or the SEC or Big 12 and you’re hoping that the voters – or selection committee – will look at Ohio State and/or Wisconsin, if Wisconsin plays, and then they would put them in the final four.

But that’s what the hope is with the Big Ten – genuine optimism. Remember I told you October 10 – it was October 10 as the target date. But they waited another week, now it’s October 17. Then you’re going to have the 19th of December for your Big Ten title game. And then the next day is when the selection committee will have its final four. This is as tight a window as you can have.

But I’m told that you can expect Big Ten football. I don’t know how many schools are going to play. It is going to be a contentious vote is what I’m told because you have some people who have been in the medical community who are presidents at places like Michigan and Northwestern and they’re going to be voting against this.

Michigan is probably not going to play, Michigan State is not going to play. Maryland is probably not going to play. But you’re going to get Nebraska and Iowa, Purdue. You’re going to get Indiana, Ohio State. I’m told that Wisconsin is sort of, while they want to play, they don’t know if they’re going to be able to play.”

Here’s video:

It’s unclear what time the league will be voting, but we’ll keep you updated.