Organized team activities will remain on hold for Ohio State and all other Big Ten sports teams for at least the next four weeks.
The Big Ten announced Monday that it has extended its suspension of all organized team activities, which was set to expire on Monday, until at least June 1 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The conference will re-evaluate at that time whether to extend the suspension again or allow team activities to resume.
Last week, Iowa president Bruce Harreld told his university's Board of Regents that the Hawkeyes are anticipating a return to football team activities on June 1.
“We’re ever so hopeful that this virus will be behind us at that point and we’ll be able to get back into what we normally do,” Harreld said.
As of now, though, Ohio State's sports teams and other sports teams across the Big Ten remain away from campus and are unable to convene for any practices, workouts or in-person meetings.
Ohio State football coach Ryan Day has expressed that he believes the Buckeyes need to be back on campus for workouts for about six weeks before the start of football season, which is currently scheduled for Sept. 5 against Bowling Green at Ohio Stadium. He also said, though, that the Buckeyes will be prepared to adjust if the season or their preparation for the season is altered.
“We’ll do whatever we need to do, and we’ll make it work, whatever they tell us the parameters are. And we’ll adapt and we’ll play,” Day said. “We’re OK with adapting. We’d obviously love to play the whole season, and expecting to play the whole season, but if that’s what happens, then we’ll figure it out.”
