Ohio State head coach Ryan Day went on ESPN2’s College Football Live to speak about his concern with the Big Ten cancelling the 2020 football season, and if there have been discussions about potentially switching conferences if that happened.
- Day said that it “certainly caught me off guard” when he found out the Big Ten was potentially ready to cancel the football season. He also emphasized the flexibility of the Big Ten’s conference schedule that was released Wednesday that allows for games to potentially be pushed back if needed.
- Day: “There has been constant dialogue. It’s every day and it’s multiple phone calls. But for this to happen so abruptly after last week, it did catch me off guard, yes.”
Day on whether or not he was surprised by the reports pic.twitter.com/SyoaBiJF8m
— Buckeye Sports Bulletin (@Buckeye_Sports) August 10, 2020
- Day recognized that there are still issues to deal with involving the incoming football season, including effects COVID-19 has on players and how to test to play games, but that some of these things can be answered still by pushing back the season. He also said it is ultimately up to the players on if they want to play.
- Said that he “can’t say enough” about his team, including the seven captains, for how much the team has pushed through, and that “they really want a chance to play.”
- “They feel like they’re safer here in our facility playing football than they would be without it.”
Day on how his players have responded and what he's been told in the last week pic.twitter.com/RJZev7hTwb
— Buckeye Sports Bulletin (@Buckeye_Sports) August 10, 2020
- Day on his message to the Big Ten decision makers: “I would say we cannot cancel the season right now. We have to, at the very least, postpone it and allow us a little bit of time to keep reevaluating everything that’s going on. That’s the reason why we put this schedule together, to have some flexibility, if we need to take a deep breath let’s take a deep breath. But let’s do everything we can, we owe it to these kids to exhaust every single option we possibly can, and then we go from there, but doing that right now, to me right now, would be abrupt.”
- He said that the players have looked “unbelievable” in practices, despite not coming into the workouts in the greatest of shape. Said again that it would be a major hit if they cannot play football this year, and that it is important that Ohio State keeps staying healthy and following the guidelines that were put in place.
Day on how Ohio State's players have been doing in practices pic.twitter.com/nSV98Bz9p2
— Buckeye Sports Bulletin (@Buckeye_Sports) August 10, 2020
- Day said that “we need to look at every option” to play this season, which would potentially include breaking from the Big Ten if the conference decides to cancel the season. “If that’s the only option at the time, we need to explore it.”
- “We’ve created a really good environment here, and I think we can keep getting it better.”
- Day said it “hasn’t really come up” about players on Ohio State wanting to transfer out of the program is the Big Ten doesn’t play football, but another conference does. “That uncertainty isn’t easy, and they’re living day to day the best they can.”
Day on if any players have come to him with questions about going to a school that is playing this fall, if Ohio State doesn't have a season to play pic.twitter.com/5RMy1jbNY4
— Buckeye Sports Bulletin (@Buckeye_Sports) August 10, 2020
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