Criticizing the Big Ten around here is like complaining about spam calls or potholes. Stop beating a dead horse, right?
But how can we not call out the Big Ten's double standard for two of America’s biggest sports?
The league has chosen to hold a conference basketball tournament next month. That’s despite the fact the league’s best nine or 10 teams are NCAA tournament locks, meaning there’s about a 1% chance the tournament winner actually needs a title to qualify for the Big Dance. Despite the fact basketball is a contact sport, played indoors, during the winter, before vaccine distribution really takes off.
Despite the fact that the event brings no atmosphere for athletes, nor does it add much for TV ratings. If the Big Ten Network needs the inventory, just use that week to reschedule games it’s already lost. You know, so Nebraska doesn’t have to play an NBA schedule the rest of the way.
Nope, they insist on going to Indianapolis. And if a good team loses on Thursday, they’ll presumably hang out an entire week until the NCAAs begin, quarantined in Indy hotel rooms. Sound good, student-athletes?
A controlled environment might help avoid positive tests, but that doesn't mean it's good strategy. Here’s where it all gets laughable, though.
Two months later, the Big Ten has canceled its conference tournament in baseball, a mostly non-contact sport, outdoors, after vaccinations have likely made a huge dent in COVID-19. Why? Presumably because it costs more money than it generates.
Yet baseball is a sport where the Big Ten could actually use a boost. It won’t have 10 NCAA tournament locks. It might not have two or three. A league tournament could strengthen some bubble teams’ resumes. And that automatic bid would be a bigger deal.
Sorry. Not this year. There will be Big Ten hoops in Indianapolis. There will not be Big Ten baseball in Omaha.
I have no personal grievance here. I don't desire to spend a Friday morning at TD Ameritrade watching a four-hour, losers-bracket game between Indiana and Ohio State. But you don't have to be a baseball nut to see that COVID-19 continues to expose troubling double standards in college sports, most notably in Nebraska’s home conference.
Come 2022, hopefully all is back to normal and we can start pretending again that the Big Ten cares about ALL of its teams.
Our best Husker football photos of 2020
An employee releases red balloons among the fan cutouts after Nebraska scored its first touchdown against Penn State.
Memorial Stadium was mostly empty for every Nebraska home game this season. Attendance was restricted to select family and friends of players, coaches and staff.
Luke McCaffrey throws a complete pass while getting hit by Penn State's Fred Hansard. McCaffrey is naturally right-handed.
Luke McCaffrey and Scott Frost celebrate their win over Penn State.
The ball floats between Myles Farmer and Penn State receiver Parker Washington, though Farmer was called for pass interference on this play.
A red balloon floats by Connor Culp as he waits to kick off after a touchdown against Illinois.
Cam Taylor-Britt saves a touchdown by hitting Illinois' Chase Brown just short of the end zone.
Dicaprio Bootle slides into the wall after Illinois' Josh Imatorbhebhe beat him for a touchdown catch.
Wyatt Liewer and Dedrick Mills celebrate Liewer's touchdown against Purdue. It was the walk-on receiver's first career touchdown.
Adrian Martinez completed 23 of 30 passes for 242 yards and a touchdown against Purdue. That was the second game he started after losing the job to Luke McCaffrey for two games.
Cam Taylor-Britt breaks up a pass intended for Purdue's David Bell. This acrobatic play helped seal the Husker win.
Adrian Martinez runs with Minnesota's Tyler Nubin hanging on behind. Martinez ran for a team-high 96 yards in that game, but the Huskers lost, 24-17.
Luke McCaffrey looks to throw a pass against Illinois. That was one of two games the redshirt freshman quarterback started.
Nebraska fans attempt to distract Iowa kicker Keith Duncan into missing a field goal. It didn't work, though. Duncan made four of five field goals in a 26-20 Hawkeye victory.
Austin Allen needed every inch of his 6-foot-8 frame to pull in this pass against Iowa. The junior tight end enjoyed a career-best season with 18 catches for 236 yards and a touchdown.
Nebraska safety Deontai Williams trips up Iowa receiver Tyler Goodson.
Wan'Dale Robinson scrambles for a loose ball against Minnesota's Jordan Howden and Justus Harris. The Huskers fumbled three times in that game and lost one.
There was more snow in the stands than people for Nebraska's game against Minnesota on Dec. 12.
Dedrick Mills stretches out for a touchdown against Northwestern. The senior running back finished the season with 396 rushing yards and three touchdowns but missed two full games, and most of a third, due to injury.
Luke McCaffrey is shoved out of bounds by Northwestern's Adetomiwa Adebawore. McCaffrey and Adrian Martinez shared time at quarterback in that game, then McCaffrey started the next two.
Luke McCaffrey is twisted up with Northwestern's Blake Gallagher.
Scott Frost, wearing a mask, walks on to the field with his team before the Northwestern game.
Luke McCaffrey stretches out for a snap against Penn State. Erratic snaps from center Cam Jurgens were a big problem at times during the season, though Jurgens got better later in the year.
Cam Taylor-Britt and Penn State's Jahan Dotson both go up for the ball in the end zone. The pass was incomplete.
Dirk Chatelain
Reporter - Sports
Dirk writes stories and columns about Husker football in addition to covering general assignments and enterprise for The World-Herald. Follow him on Twitter @dirkchatelain. Phone: 402-444-1062.
