In the wake of the Big Ten’s decision to play football in the fall of 2020, the reasons behind the switch can be tied to medical advancements, a confluence of outside pressures and the complexities of university hierarchies.
But as the Big Ten’s decision unfolded this week, it revealed that peer pressure is another indelible factor that’s reshaping the way conferences, schools and athletic departments are now approaching football in 2020.
The power of a full slate of college football being played on Saturday, with kickoffs from Austin to Ames and South Bend to Boone, has elicited a new feeling around college athletics — FOMO.