Report: Big Ten to announce conference-only football schedule for this fall

UPDATE (3:31 p.m.) — ESPN is reporting that the Big Ten will be going to a conference-only format for all sports this fall, per Heather Dinich and Mark Schlabach.

Original story follows...

We have been waiting on news on what the college football schedule will look like this fall as the coronavirus pandemic rages on and the Big Ten Conference appears to be next in line for an announcement. According to Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic, the Big Ten is set to play a conference-only football schedule this fall.

For the Michigan Wolverines, this would mean an elimination of non-conference games at Washington and vs. Arkansas State (who was projected to make $1.8 million for its trip to Ann Arbor) and Ball State at home. As of this posting, it remains unclear whether a full schedule will be played or if it will be a bit of a shorter season.

This obviously has ripple effects throughout college football, as Ohio State had a date scheduled with Oregon and Wisconsin was set to play Notre Dame at Lambeau Field. Conferences like the MAC could be hurt by this as well, as they have 11 games scheduled with Big Ten teams this fall.

It is also worth nothing that this still means there is no guarantee that a full season is played and that everything is for sure happening. The pandemic has been a very fluid situation, especially in the sports world, so this simply is a step in the right direction as it pertains to schedule.

We’ll have more on this story as it develops, so keep it locked here as we await more details and announcements.