The wheels are in motion for Ohio State to play football this fall, hopefully with an on-time start and fans in the stands.
Most Ohio State football players are now back on campus or in the process of returning to campus, and voluntary workouts will resume at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Monday. Ohio State president Michael Drake announced Wednesday that the university will resume in-person classes for fall semester, which begins on Aug. 25, and also said the university’s “hope and intention is to safely have a football season, with an audience spaced out in our stadium.”
The Buckeyes “haven’t made any final decisions” on football season yet, but barring any major setbacks from this point forward, it’s expected that Ryan Day’s squad will take the field this fall despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
One question we don’t know the answer to yet, however, is whether Ohio State will need to make any adjustments to its 2020 schedule even if the season does start on time. While the Buckeyes seem to be moving firmly in a direction toward playing, some other schools are further behind in that process.
There’s no guarantee that Ohio State playing this fall would mean every other Big Ten team and all of its non-conference opponents are also playing, which will likely be at least partially contingent on whether those schools also have students on campus for the autumn semester. NCAA president Mark Emmert reportedly told members of Congress in a call this week that some Football Bowl Subdivision schools might not play this season, according to Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger.
With that in mind, we take a look through Ohio State’s regular-season schedule to see where each of its expected 2020 opponents stand in terms of bringing their football players back for workouts, bringing the rest of their student population back to campus and playing games with or without fans in their home stadiums this fall.
(Author's note: This story previously stated that Ohio State was not requiring COVID-19 testing for its athletes. Ohio State announced Friday afternoon that it will require COVID-19 tests for its athletes before they are cleared to participate in voluntary workouts.)
Bowling Green
Bowling Green announced in May that it is planning to hold face-to-face classes on campus this fall. The university has not made any announcement on fall sports, but the Mid-American Conference has announced that it is shrinking travel rosters for football road games from 76 to 70 players as a cost-cutting measure.
Given that both are public universities in Ohio, it’s presumable Bowling Green will be able to play at Ohio Stadium on Sept. 5 as long as it's cleared to play football and Ohio State is able to host the game; whether there are fans at that game, and how many, could depend on the loosening of restrictions of mass gatherings, which are currently banned in the state until July 1.
Oregon
Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens said last month that the Ducks’ “goal is to play as many games as possible,” including its scheduled home game against Ohio State on Sept. 12, but acknowledged that uncertainty remains.
“We'd love to play all 12 because we have a very exciting schedule, but understand that health and safety would be the priority,” Mullens said on May 15, according to Duck Territory’s Matt Prehm.
Earlier in May, the Oregon Health Authority advised “that any large gathering, at least through September, should be canceled or significantly modified,” which could mean an absence of fans in Autzen Stadium if the game is played as scheduled.
Oregon is targeting a June 15 return to voluntary workouts, the first day allowed by the Pac-12, according to James Crepea of the Oregonian. Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott told 247Sports that all Pac-12 athletes will be required to undergo COVID-19 testing when they return to campus.
Oregon is planning to hold in-person classes on campus this fall.
Buffalo
The University at Buffalo has not yet announced its plans for the fall semester or return to sports. Buffalo is in the MAC, so like Bowling Green, its travel roster for football will be reduced to 70 players this season. The Bulls are scheduled to come to Columbus for Ohio State’s final game of the non-conference portion of the schedule on Sept. 19.
Rutgers
Rutgers has not yet confirmed when its football players will return to campus, but the earliest allowed date would be June 22, which is when New Jersey is permitting organized sports activities to resume in the state. The university has not yet announced whether it plans to have students back on campus for the fall semester. Rutgers is scheduled to travel to Ohio State for the Buckeyes’ Big Ten opener on Sept. 26.
Iowa
Like Ohio State, Iowa is allowing its football players to resume voluntary workouts on Monday, and the university is planning to reopen for in-person classes this fall. The Hawkeyes are set to hit the road to play the Buckeyes on Oct. 10, but Iowa athletic director Gary Barta said last week that the university is still planning to potentially host full-capacity crowds in Kinnick Stadium this season.
Iowa, like Ohio State, is set to return to voluntary workouts on Monday and has momentum toward playing a full football season this fall. Jeffrey Becker – USA TODAY Sports
Michigan State
Michigan State announced Thursday that its athletes will begin returning to campus on June 15 for voluntary workouts. The Spartans will require their athletes to undergo COVID-19 testing upon their return, then self-isolate for one week following testing. Upon a second round of testing on June 22, athletes who test negatively for COVID-19 will be cleared to start voluntary workouts at that time.
MSU is planning to have its students on campus in-person classes this fall, the university announced last week. MSU athletic director Bill Beekman said Thursday that the Spartans – who are set to host Ohio State on Oct. 17 – are planning to play their full schedule as of now, and that capacity in Spartan Stadium could be capped at 20 to 30 percent.
Penn State
Penn State announced Thursday that 75 of its football players are returning to campus on Monday. Like Michigan State, Penn State will test those players upon arrival, then instruct them to quarantine for one week before starting voluntary workouts on June 15 if they are medically cleared.
PSU has not yet announced any further plans, but athletic director Sandy Barbour said Thursday that the Nittany Lions “hope this is the first steps to a full return for the fall.” University president Eric Barron said in May that the university is proceeding forward with the notion that it will be open this fall, with plans to make a formal announcement on how fall semester will proceed by June 15.
The Nittany Lions are scheduled to host Ohio State on Oct. 24, but it remains uncertain whether fans will be able to pack Beaver Stadium for a white out this year.
Nebraska
Nebraska’s football players returned to campus to begin voluntary workouts this week, coinciding with the NCAA’s move to allow voluntary workouts to start on June 1. All student-athletes who returned to campus were required to quarantine for 48 hours and take a COVID-19 test before being cleared to return to campus athletic facilities.
Athletic director Bill Moos has expressed hope that Nebraska will still be able to host full crowds at Memorial Stadium this season, and expects the Cornhuskers’ sellout streak to continue this year regardless of crowd size limits, though they’ll travel to Ohio State for this year’s game against the Buckeyes on Oct. 31.
Like Ohio State, Nebraska will have on-campus classes this fall but will conclude in-person instruction for the fall semester before Thanksgiving, the university announced last week.
Indiana
Indiana is reopening its athletic facilities for football players to resume on-campus voluntary workouts on June 15, the university announced Wednesday as part of phase one of its restart plan. IU announced last week that it would also reopen for fall semester with no in-person classes after Thanksgiving.
The Hoosiers are scheduled to play at Ohio State on Nov. 7. Indiana has not yet announced whether it expects to have fans in Memorial Stadium this fall.
Maryland
Maryland president Wallace Loh announced last week that the university will have “a mix of in-person, online and blended education” this fall, but “students should expect that many of their classes will be virtual in the fall term.”
The university announced Friday that its football players are permitted to return to campus beginning Monday if they have been symptom-free for 14 days and have not been in contact with any known COVID-19 cases. Athletes will be subject to testing when they arrive, and those who are cleared will be permitted to begin voluntary workouts on June 15.
Maryland has not indicated whether it expects to have fans in the stands this fall at Maryland Stadium, where the Terrapins are scheduled to host the Buckeyes on Nov. 14, but athletic director Damon Evans said Friday that university leaders “remain optimistic about the return of fall sports.”
Illinois
Illinois football players began returning to campus on Wednesday, and they’re expected to begin voluntary workouts next Thursday. The university has not yet finalized its plans for fall semester, but is currently soliciting feedback from students and staff on a plan – like Ohio State and many other Big Ten schools – that would combine in-person and online classes with all in-person instruction concluding before students go home for Thanksgiving.
The university has not yet indicated whether it expects the Illini to play a football season or whether it will host fans this year at its Memorial Stadium, where Ohio State is set to play its final road game of the regular season on Nov. 21.
Illinois, which is scheduled to host Ohio State this season for the first time since 2015, is set to return to voluntary workouts next week. Patrick Gorski – USA TODAY Sports
Michigan
There is some reason for concern about Ohio State’s chief rivals not playing football this season. UM president Mark Schlissel – who is also an immunologist, and therefore certainly understands the risks of COVID-19 – has been adamant that Michigan will not play sports this season if students are not on campus for classes, and he hasn’t committed yet to students returning for fall semester.
That said, Michigan does appear to be moving toward resuming football workouts soon. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer lifted the state’s stay-at-home order earlier this week, allowing for outdoor athletic activities to resume, and the freshman class has been instructed to return to campus on June 15, according to the Detroit Free Press. Additionally, interim provost Susan Collins said during a town hall last week that Michigan is now “very optimistic” it will be able to have in-person classes this fall, though no decision has been announced yet.
As long as things continue to move in that direction and Michigan plays a full football season this fall, Ohio State will have a chance to win its ninth straight edition of The Game when the Wolverines play the Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on Nov. 28.
