South Kent News

The Big Ten Conference has no plans for a fall season, with member schools agreeing to suspend all fall sports in response to concerns over the potential spread of COVID-19, but Michigan lawmakers are asking the schools to reconsider.

The decision to cancel the fall season was reached by the Big Ten schools in August, according to The Center Square. But Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R-Levering) recently joined nine fellow lawmakers from other Big Ten states in sending a letter to the conference’s commissioners asking them to reconsider.

“As a former student athlete, a teacher, a coach, an athletic director and now as a parent, I know how important sports can be to young people and their development," Chatfield said, according to The Center Square. "The Big Ten should reverse course as soon as possible and do everything possible to help their students restart extracurricular activities safely.”

The letter included endorsements from lawmakers representing Iowa, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. All of them joined in saying that they have heard from a variety of affected constituents -- students, parents and coaches -- who want the season to carry on.

Although the Big Ten had issued a set of strict protocols to enable the athletic season to continue, those plans were abandoned in August when a portion of the schools pressured the rest into cancelling the season.

“Our coaches and players should be given a chance to make them [the agreed-upon protocols] work,” the letter stated, according to The Center Square. “After all, this region is home to some of the world’s leading institutions of higher learning, scientific research and medicine, and we are confident that they can continue to safeguard the health and safety of our student athletes.”