They can say it’s about the players. Or "student-athletes," as they call them whenever it’s convenient.
And it was about them — about six weeks ago. When the Big Ten postponed its football season.
But now?
After Wednesday’s announcement that the Big Ten will play football this fall?
The decision is about everything but.
It’s hard not to think that Big Ten football players were used as pawns in a presidential race, as props for senators and representatives looking to please voters in swing states, as chess pieces so that so many could get their hands into a billion-dollar pie.