The Big Ten became the first Power 5 conference to announce that they will move to a conference-only schedule for fall sports, including football, on Thursday.

The move comes on the heels of the Ivy League announcing that they will postpone all falls sports--with no date set to return--just a day earlier.

With the announcement, Maryland football is no longer expected to open the 2020 season with games versus Towson, Northern Illinois and at West Virginia.

All of this, of course, assumes that there will be a 2020 fall season. With the Ivy League's announcement, other FCS conferences like the Patriot League cancelling early non-conference football games and even Division III conferences like the Centennial Conference suspending fall sports with no football to be played until spring at the earliest, things remain very much up in the air.

Maryland football players returned to campus last month and were able to begin voluntary individual workouts on June 15.

So far, Maryland student-athletes have been able to avoid contracting COVID-19. The school announced on June 26 that of 105 people tested for the virus, none tested positive.

Other schools have not been so lucky, with Ohio State and North Carolina suspending voluntary workouts earlier this week due to COVID-19 outbreaks among football players. North Carolina reported that 37 players and staff members recently tested positive.

The full statement from the Big Ten regarding the 2020 fall season can be read below:

We are facing uncertain and unprecedented times, and the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes, coaches, game officials, and others associated with our sports programs and campuses remain our number one priority.

To that end, the Big Ten Conference announced today that if the Conference is able to participate in fall sports (men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, football, men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball) based on medical advice, it will move to Conference-only schedules in those sports. Details for these sports will be released at a later date, while decisions on sports not listed above will continue to be evaluated. By limiting competition to other Big Ten institutions, the Conference will have the greatest flexibility to adjust its own operations throughout the season and make quick decisions in real-time based on the most current evolving medical advice and the fluid nature of the pandemic.

This decision was made following many thoughtful conversations over several months between the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors, Directors of Athletics, Conference Office staff, and medical experts including the Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee.

In addition, the Conference announced that summer athletic activities will continue to be voluntary in all sports currently permitted to engage in such activities. Furthermore, Big Ten student-athletes who choose not to participate in intercollegiate athletics at any time during the summer and/or the 2020-21 academic year due to concerns about COVID-19 will continue to have their scholarship honored by their institution and will remain in good standing with their team.

While Big Ten member institutions continue to rely on the most up-to-date medical information to establish the best protocols for voluntary workouts on their campuses, in compliance with local and state regulations, the Conference is working with the Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee to finalize Conference-wide protocols.

As we continue to focus on how to play this season in a safe and responsible way, based on the best advice of medical experts, we are also prepared not to play in order to ensure the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes should the circumstances so dictate.