Wisconsin Dismisses RB Loyal Crawford After Dorm Altercation with Antwan Roberts
Aug 31, 2021
MADISON, WI - NOVEMBER 12: A Wisconsin helmet on the sidelines during game action. Wisconsin beat Illinois by a final score of 48-3 at Camp Randall Stadium on November 12, 2016 in Madison, WI.
(Photo by Patrick S. Blood/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Wisconsin Badgers will be without multiple running backs when they take on Penn State in Saturday's season opener.
Evan Flood of 247Sports noted the Big Ten program announced it dismissed running back Loyal Crawford from the team and suspended running back Antwan Roberts following an altercation in a residence hall.
Crawford responded to the announcement on Twitter with his own message (since deleted) and said, "I was treated so unfairly in all of this. I want everyone to know that. They didn't even want to hear my side. he literally broke into my dorm room and tried to jump me while I was sitting on the couch with my back turned to him he started it all."
Michael Hogan of 247Sports reported a UW-Madison Police spokesperson said a physical altercation happened on Aug. 22 and Crawford was cited for disorderly conduct and disorderly conduct while armed because he had a knife.
The police spokesperson said there were only minor injuries that were not related to the knife.
Crawford was a 3-star prospect in Wisconsin's 2021 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. Roberts was also a 3-star prospect in the same class.
Drew Hamm of SB Nation noted neither running back was expected to be a key piece of Wisconsin's offense this season.
Wisconsin's Graham Mertz Reveals Personal Logo in Video; 1st College Athlete to Do So
Jun 28, 2021
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 30: Quarterback Graham Mertz #5 of the Wisconsin Badgers looks to pass against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the first quarter of the Duke's Mayo Bowl at Bank of America Stadium on December 30, 2020 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz unveiled a hype video Monday, though it wasn't the highlights of the Badgers' play that stood out. Mertz's trademarked logo at the end of the eight-second clip grabbed all the attention.
As the NCAA braces for the impact of name, image and likeness policies that go into effect July 1, Mertz becomes the first college athlete to release a trademarked logo, according to The Athletic.
Mertz is likely just the first of numerous college athletes who will release similar videos, logos and more as name, image and likeness rights are opened to student-athletes.
The move—a likely placeholder for the NCAA while federal legislation is debated—allows college players to earn money off their names, images and likenesses regardless of which state they live in. Multiple states have already passed NIL laws, and those in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Texas, Georgia and Kentucky go into effect July 1 as well.
Similar laws in California, Michigan, Colorado, Tennessee, Maryland and South Carolina will kick in over the next few years.
While the state of Wisconsin hasn't passed an NIL law, its flagship university is working to get ahead of the curve.
"College athletics is entering a new era and we are excited to embrace the opportunities that will come with changes in student-athletes' name, image and likeness rights," athletic director Chris McIntosh said earlier this month (h/t CBS' Barrett Sallee). "At our core, we exist to prepare student-athletes. Our approach to preparing them for success in the NIL arena will be no different than our commitment to setting them up for success on the field of play, in the classroom and in life beyond their time at UW."
The Badgers have already launched a program titled "YouDub" in partnership with Opendorse to help players get the most of out the NCAA's NIL policies.
Mertz wasted no time getting himself up and running. By the end of the week, videos like these may become the norm in college sports.
Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez Will Retire on June 30 After 32 Years with Badgers
Apr 6, 2021
MADISON, WI - SEPTEMBER 01: University of Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez looks on in the first quarter between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Utah State Aggies at Camp Randall Stadium on September 1, 2017 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez is retiring effective June 30, ending a 32-year tenure at the school.
"It has been an honor to be a part of Wisconsin Athletics and I take great pride in all we have accomplished over the last three decades," Alvarez said in Tuesday's announcement. "From championships, to improvements on campus, to impacting thousands of student-athletes, it's been a great ride. I'm grateful for the support, generosity, enthusiasm and loyalty of Badgers in the state of Wisconsin and beyond. Thank you."
Alvarez took over as head coach of the Badgers football team in 1990. They went 1-10 in his first season but improved to 10-1-1 and beat UCLA in the Rose Bowl in 1993.
The 74-year-old compiled a 118-75-4 record in 18 years on the job, bringing a level of consistency to Wisconsin that had been absent in the program's history. The team was the Big Ten champion in 1993, 1998 and 1999.
Alvarez stepped down in 2005 to focus on his administrative duties as athletic director. Twice he came out of retirement to coach Wisconsin in bowl games to fill in for an outgoing coach (Bret Bielema in 2012 and Gary Andersen in 2014). As the AD, he helped ensure the Badgers maintained the on-field identity he established.
Wisconsin made note of the success it enjoyed outside of football with Alvarez in charge of athletics:
In Alvarez's first 18 seasons as A.D., Wisconsin has finished among the top 30 in the NACDA Director's Cup 15 times, including 16th-place finishes in 2006-07, 2016-17 and 2018-19. Six different programs have won national titles during Alvarez's tenure, including four in the magical 2005-06 season. Fourteen different teams have been crowned as conference champions, including five in each of the 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2012-13 and 2014-15 seasons.
Most notably, the men's basketball team made back-to-back Final Fours in 2014 and 2015, finishing runner-up to Duke in the latter trip.
According to USA Today, Wisconsin's athletic department generated $157.7 million in revenue for the 2018-19 school year, 11th-most in the country. Alvarez excelled by almost any metric and leaves massive shoes to fill.
ESPN's Adam Rittenberg reported deputy athletic director Chris McIntosh "has long been viewed as a potential successor." McIntosh played for Alvarez and was an All-American in 1999. He assumed his current role in 2017.
However, Rittenberg noted Wisconsin plans to execute a comprehensive search for a new AD.
Barry Alvarez Reportedly Retiring as Wisconsin AD; Timeline Uncertain
Mar 27, 2021
FILE - In this Sept. 12, 2009, filep hoto, Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez look on from the sidelines during an NCAA football game in Madison, Wis. Thirty years after he finished his playing career at Nebraska, Alvarez went to Wisconsin and built the Badgers' program in the image of the Cornhuskers. No one's more excited than Alvarez, now Wisconsin's athletic director, about Nebraska playing its inaugural Big Ten game on the Badgers' field on Saturday. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)
University of Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez will retire, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Jeff Potrykus reported Saturday (h/t Stadium's Brett McMurphy). No timeline exists for the 74-year-old's exit.
Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez has decided to retire, although timeline not definite yet, sources told @Stadium. 1st reported by @jaypo1961
Alvarez became the Badgers' athletic director in 2004 after a 15-year stint as the school's head football coach. He's twice stepped in as interim head coach during his tenure as AD, going 119-74-4 overall and earning an induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
The Badgers won three Rose Bowls (1993, 1998 1999) with Alvarez as head coach. Under his watch as AD, Wisconsin took one men's ice hockey championship (2006) and six women's ice hockey titles (2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2019, 2021) along with making two men's basketball Final Four appearances (2014, 2015), a women's soccer Sweet 16 (2017) showing and two national title game appearances in women's volleyball (2013, 2019).
The Pennsylvania native also served on the inaugural College Football Playoff selection committee in 2014 and was honored with a statue outside Camp Randall Stadium in 2006.
While athletic director, Alvarez hired Greg Gard to coach men's basketball,Tony Granato as men's ice hockey coach and Bret Bielema, Gary Andersen and Paul Chryst as football coach.
The athletic success at Wisconsin has become synonymous with Alvarez, and his departure will leave a massive hole both in Madison and college sports overall.
Potrykus reported Wisconsin's deputy athletic director, Chris McIntosh, has been "groomed" to succeed Alvarez, with the outgoing AD expected to support McIntosh's promotion.
McIntosh is a 1999All-American offensive tackle who played under Alvarez. After two years in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks—who drafted him No. 22 overall in 2000—McIntosh returned to Madison in 2014 and currentlyoverseesday-to-day operations of the athletic department.
Quintez Cephus Suing Wisconsin over Treatment in Sexual Assault Investigation
Feb 23, 2021
Detroit Lions wide receiver Quintez Cephus warms up before an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
Former University of Wisconsin wide receiver Quintez Cephus, who now plays professionally for the Detroit Lions, is suing his former school over its handling of a sexual assault investigation against him while he was a student-athlete.
Per Steve Megargee of the Associated Press, Cephus filed the lawsuit in a Madison, Wisconsin federal court and is accusing the university of "violating his due process rights, violating Title IX provisions and breach of contract."
According to Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Dane County (Wisconsin) district attorney's office filed charges against Cephus in 2018.
Those charges were third-degree sexual assault and second-degree sex assault of an intoxicated victim related to two alleged sexual assaults on April 22, 2018, per Genaro C. Armas and Steve Karnowski of theAssociated Press.
Two women that Cephus met earlier that day said that Cephus sexually assaulted them while they were too intoxicated to consent, per Ed Treleven of the Wisconsin State Journal. Cephus said he had consensual sexual encounters with both women.
At trial, he testified that he invited teammate Danny Davis into the room after the sexual encounters because he had never had sex with two women before. Cephus said he told Davis to take a picture of the women, but one of the women became angry and told him to delete the photo.
Cephus was acquitted of all charges in August 2019 and reinstated to the school and the team. The Lions selected him in the 2020 NFL draft.
One of the women has since sued the University of Wisconsin for reversing its previous expulsion decision and allowing him back on the Badger football team.
"The lawsuit filed in federal court in Madison by 'Jane Doe' accused the university and its chancellor of ignoring state and federal law by shutting her out of the process that allowed Cephus to be re-admitted and return to the team," the Associated Press wrote in Sept. 2020.
Per Megargee, Cephus' lawsuit alleges that he would have been drafted earlier and earned more money if he had not been expelled from the university for violating its nonacademic conduct code. The suit argues that the school's Title IX investigation and decision to expel Cephus should have been delayed until after the criminal trial was over and further evidence was released.
Cephus' lawyer, Andrew Miltenburg, told Megargee the 22-year-old is seeking to "set a precedent so that schools are more careful and more diligent in how they proceed on these cases and not just sort of rushing ahead to judgment."
Cephus is seeking "unspecified damages" in his case against the school, per Megargee.
Wisconsin Accidentally Shatters Mayo Bowl Trophy in Locker Room, Video Shows
Dec 30, 2020
FILE - In this Sept. 7, 2019, file photoWisconsin's Graham Mertz reacts to a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Central Michigan in Madison, Wis. Mertz is about to get his chance to show he’s worthy of all the acclaim that accompanied his arrival on campus last year. Now that foot surgery has sidelined returning starter Jack Coan indefinitely, Mertz is likely to open the season as the 16th-ranked Badgers’ first-team quarterback. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)
Wisconsin won the Duke's Mayo Bowl on Wednesday, defeating Wake Forest 42-28. And the Badgers celebrated by...breaking the trophy?
It would appear so:
Wisconsin may be going home empty handed ...
It appears that the trophy from the Duke's Mayo Bowl is shattered 😳
That wasn't the only disappointment. A day after Oklahoma State players poured Cheez-It crackers onto head coach Mike Gundy following their 37-34 win over Miami in the Cheez-It Bowl, plenty of folks hoped Wisconsin would bathe head coach Paul Chryst in mayonnaise.
Turns out the trophy wasn't filled with mayo either. On Wednesday, it was just dollop after dollop of disappointment.
Graham Mertz, Wisconsin Top Wake Forest 42-28 in 2020 Duke's Mayo Bowl
Dec 30, 2020
Wisconsin inside linebacker Jack Sanborn (57) on the field during pregame before an NCAA college football game against Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020. (AP Photo/Tony Ding)
Wisconsin closed out 2020 on a high note, taking down Wake Forest 42-28 on Wednesday in the 2020 Duke's Mayo Bowl at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Badgers have now won five of their six bowl games under head coach Paul Chryst. They also finished with a winning record (4-3) for the 19th straight year.
Wake Forest hadn't played since Dec. 12 but didn't show any rust as it jumped out to a 14-0 lead after its first two drives. The Demon Deacons offense then ground to a halt, which allowed Wisconsin to tie things up at 14 by halftime.
Defense and special teams won the day for the Badgers. They only gained 266 yards but pulled away in the second half by forcing four turnovers.
To answer the question on everybody's mind, the Wisconsin players didn't dump an entire cooler of mayonnaise on Chryst to celebrate the victory.
Notable Performers
Graham Mertz, QB, Wisconsin: 11-of-17, 130 yards, one touchdown
Jack Dunn, WR, Wisconsin: six receptions, 60 yards
Jack Sanborn, LB, Wisconsin: 11 total tackles, two tackles for loss, one interception
Sam Hartman, QB, Wake Forest: 20-of-37, 318 yards, three touchdowns, four interceptions; five carries, eight yards
Wisconsin Offense Plays to Type
Remember when Graham Mertz threw for 248 yards and five touchdowns as Wisconsin hammered Illinois? That feels like a lifetime ago.
It was apparent when the Badgers recorded a 49-11 win over Michigan that Mertz wasn't a significant improvement over his predecessors. Going up against a Wake Forest defense allowing 265.9 passing yards per game didn't provide any sort of boost.
QB Graham Mertz is still jogging to the sideline to get the play calls -- something that began against Indiana because the Hoosiers knew the signals coming in. Something to address, among other things, in the offseason.
It’s crazy to think back to after Wisconsin’s first game and how we thought Mertz was going to make this offense unstoppable. I guess we jumped the gun a bit huh?
Big special teams plays helped set up a pair of Badger touchdowns. Jaylan Franklin blocked a punt in the second quarter to give his team a 1st-and-goal situation at the 9-yard line, and a kickoff return by Devin Chandler in the third quarter set up the offense at Wake's 33-yard line.
The defense then did the heavy lifting.
After Sam Hartman's eight-yard touchdown pass to Jaquarii Roberson to put Wake Forest up 21-14, Wisconsin scored 28 unanswered points. Those four scoring drives totaled 70 yards.
When you have an offense that isn't moving the ball well, just give yourself a short field.
Second-Half Turnovers Costly for Wake
Hartman wasn't very efficient during the regular season, completing 58.9 percent of his passes. He did, however, throw just one interception to 10 touchdowns. That helped the Demon Deacons have a plus-13 turnover margin.
The problem with relying on turnovers is that they can be fickle, and that was the case in the second half as Hartman threw interceptions on four straight drives.
Michael Kern replaced Hartman in the fourth quarter. By then, the damage had already been done. Kern also looked overmatched upon entering the game.
Roberson hauled in an impressive 39-yard grab to get the Demon Deacons into the red zone. A run by Kern went for no gain, and three of his passes fell incomplete to turn the ball over on downs.
Christian Beal-Smith got a consolation touchdown with six seconds remaining.
What's Next?
Wake Forest and Wisconsin open the 2021 season Sept. 4. The Demon Deacons host Old Dominion at Truist Field, while the Badgers jump right into conference play with a home matchup against Penn State at Camp Randall Stadium.
Graham Mertz, Wisconsin Aiming to Rise from Big Ten Threat to Playoff Contender
David Kenyon
Nov 18, 2020
Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst cheers on his players from the sideline during the first quarter of the team's NCAA college football game against Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020. (AP Photo/Tony Ding)
While the coronavirus pandemic led the Big Ten to adjust its 2020 schedule, the delayed start hasn't stopped preseason expectations from coming to fruition. Once again, Wisconsin is the prime challenger to league favorite Ohio State.
However, the route to this familiar spot required a three-week detour. Wisconsin has only played two games because of a coronavirus outbreak within the program. The school—which publicly confirmed 27 cases in an early November press release—rightfully paused the season immediately after it began.
The stoppage cast a cloud of uncertainty on what the team may have a chance to accomplish in 2020. Between hosting Illinois on Oct. 23 and traveling to Michigan last weekend, Wisconsin canceled games with Nebraska and Purdue.
But the Badgers are back. And they look excellent.
Despite a very limited sample, Wisconsin has demanded College Football Playoff attention in those two victories. The earliest returns are incredibly promising.
As always, consider the competition. Illinois has struggled more than expected, and Michigan is a downright disaster. Wisconsin won both games by 38 points.
Wisconsin cruised past Michigan 49-11.
The reason it's notable, though, is Wisconsin rarely wins so handily over Big Ten competition. During the last three seasons, the Badgers notched 21 conference victories, yet defeated only four opponents by 28-plus points—let alone 38. Margin of victory is not indicative of future wins, but it can help reveal a team's upside.
Unsurprisingly, defense is driving the team's success. That, along with a powerful offensive line, is the program's identity.
Wisconsin surrendered just 16.9 points per game in 2019 and has ceded only 11 points in two contests so far (Illinois scored its only touchdown on a fumble recovery). Illinois and Michigan finished with 218 and 219 yards, respectively.
What has regularly crushed the Badgers on the biggest stage—specifically the Big Ten Championship Game—however, is a scoring attack that simply isn't dangerous enough.
Head coach Paul Chryst is an underrated offensive mind. Some coaches seemingly pick plays at random, but Chryst actually runs an offense. While the foundation is power-run schemes, he mixes in jet sweeps and misdirection while setting up play-action passes (and screens, lots of screens).
Nevertheless, a power-run emphasis—even as the offense has modern elements—is an easy target when it fails in today's spread-dominated era. And sometimes, deservedly so.
But a great quarterback makes an enormous difference.
After two appearances, Graham Mertz isn't suddenly the best quarterback in the country. He's a tremendous fit for what the Badgers want to accomplish, though.
It's true Wisconsin hasn't needed Mertz to push the ball downfield. Through two games, the degree of difficulty on his attempts is generally low. When you can throw the ball five yards and still pick up 15, there's nothing wrong with taking what the defense gives you. And in lopsided games, quarterbacks aren't launching deep passes.
Still, discounting his clean footwork, calm presence and near-impeccable decision-making would be foolish. Mertz's confidence, command and arm talent are obvious—and have translated to 8.7 yards per attempt with seven touchdowns and zero turnovers.
If he sustains this level of performance, the Badgers will finish the six-game regular season unbeaten. Sure, it's half of a normal year, but they play at 4-0 Northwestern, host 4-0 Indiana and travel to Iowa after having two weeks of practice disrupted midseason. That's no small accomplishment.
And it would put Wisconsin on the brink of the CFP.
A final conference victory has eluded the Badgers, who have four losses in the Big Ten title game during the six-year CFP era. Plus, as consistent as the program has been, only in 2017 did Wisconsin truly have a CFP chance when the 12-0 Badgers fell to Ohio State. The team entered the other Big Ten Championship Games (2014, 2016, 2019) at 10-2 each time.
Oddly enough—yet in perfect "2020" fashion—Wisconsin might only need to keep it close in Indianapolis.
At this point in the season, two of the four CFP spots are effectively sealed. The ACC should send its champion (Notre Dame or Clemson), and Alabama is the SEC favorite over Florida. If you project Ohio State to win the Big Ten, that's three.
But if Notre Dame loses to North Carolina and/or is destroyed by a Trevor Lawrence-led Clemson in the ACC Championship Game, the Irish would have a less compelling case. The Big 12 is an Oklahoma State loss away from each of its programs having two-plus letdowns, and the Pac-12—with a similar six-plus-one schedule to Wisconsin, potentially—might not finish with an unbeaten team.
You may be convinced an undefeated Cincinnati or BYU deserves a CFP spot, and that's a relevant discussion. But nobody can say with certainty it will happen. Every year, the CFP selection committee favors one-loss Power Five teams to unbeaten Group of Five schools. Like it or not, that's the committee's preference.
Without question, the Badgers' optimal playoff path is beating Ohio State for the conference crown to cap a 7-0 record. That would leave no room for argument about the team's merit.
Unlike years past, however, Wisconsin has multiple routes to the playoff. If the Badgers thrive in the regular season with a hyped quarterback and elite defense, they'll be in the top-four discussion all the way to Selection Day.
Alvarez: Wisconsin Has 'A Handle' on COVID-19 Outbreak Ahead of Michigan Game
Nov 9, 2020
Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez on the field before an NCAA college football game against Michigan at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Tony Ding)
Wisconsin Badgers athletic director Barry Alvarez said Monday the school is "confident that we have a handle on the situation" after a COVID-19 outbreak within the football team led to the cancellation of games against Nebraska and Purdue the past two weekends.
The plan is to play Saturday's scheduled matchup against Michigan.
"We had no new positives on Tuesday and Wednesday, which was a great sign," he added. "That's when we started thinking Friday could be a day we could get the team together to start doing things with an eye towards having a regular practice week this week. So we were cautious on Friday and Saturday, split guys into groups, and just did conditioning. The team then got together and held its regular Monday practice this morning."
Wisconsin shut down all team activities on Oct. 28 and currently has five active coronavirus cases—two players and three staff members. The school announced that it has had no new positive tests in five of the past six days.
At the time of the Purdue cancelation, Wisconsin hadregistered27 active coronavirus cases (15 athletes, 12 staff members) since Oct. 24. Head coach Paul Chryst was among those who tested positive.
It remains to be seen if quarterback Graham Mertz will be able to play against Michigan.
"Graham, the way that this is timing out, he's starting that process of coming back," Chrysttold reportersMonday. "His tests are all done. I think he'll be able to have some practice and we'll see if it's enough practice time."
Something to keep in mind for Wisconsin's game against Michigan is which players are even available to play because of COVID-19 cases and the Big Ten 21-day protocol. Chryst: "We’ll have some guys probably get some snaps that three weeks ago weren’t probably in that position."
The No. 13 Badgers have played one game this season, beating Illinois 45-7.
Wisconsin vs. Purdue Canceled Due to Badgers' 27 Active COVID-19 Cases
Nov 3, 2020
Camp Randall Stadium, home of the Wisconsin Badgers, is seen Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Madison, Wis. Less than five weeks after pushing NCAA college football and other fall sports to spring in the name of player safety during the pandemic, the conference changed course Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020, and said it plans to begin its season the weekend of Oct. 23-24. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Wisconsin announced its game Saturday against Purdue is canceled as the program continues to deal with a COVID-19 outbreak.
The Badgers had to cancel their Oct. 31 clash with Nebraska for the same reason.
Athletic director Barry Alvarez released a statement regarding the matter:
"I share in the disappointment of our student-athletes and staff. We have seen a level of improvement in our testing numbers, but not enough to give us confidence to resume normal activities and play our game on Saturday. We will continue to test regularly, take the proper health-related precautions and look forward to getting our team back on the field as soon as possible."
He further discussed the cancellation later on Tuesday, noting the safety of the student-athletes and staff is "top priority":
#Badgers athletic director Barry Alvarez talks about the cancellation of Saturday’s game and the new protocol methods he plans to bring to the program. pic.twitter.com/mXtXTgYLdK
— FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin (@FanDuelSN_WI) November 3, 2020
Purdue AD Mike Bobinski also addressed the situation in a statement:
"While we looked forward to our game this weekend against Wisconsin, we understand the Badgers' decision to cancel based on medical advice and their need to control any additional transmission of the virus within their team and staff. The health, well-being and safety of all student-athletes, coaches and staff remains the top priority for the entire Big Ten and will continue to guide decision-making."
Having initially canceled the fall football season, the Big Tenannounced in Septemberit would go through with an eight-game conference-only schedule.
"The Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors (COP/C) adopted significant medical protocols including daily antigen testing, enhanced cardiac screening and an enhanced data-driven approach when making decisions about practice/competition," the conference said.
Wisconsin's circumstances illustrate how tenuous the situation remains despite those more stringent protocols.
A Big Ten student-athlete who tests positive can't play for at least 21 days. One positive test can potentially keep a player out for more than a third of the season. Have multiple players test positive and the problem becomes obvious.
As part of its COVID-19 protocols, the Big Ten requires teams to stop practice for at least seven days when they have a positivity rate of more than 5 percent over a seven-day rolling average. Simply returning to practice is a challenge for Wisconsin.
The Athletic'sStewart Mandelnoted the Badgers can still win the Big Ten West division as long as they play six games this season. The team can hit that threshold by playing the remainder of its schedule.
The extent to which the outbreak has spread raises doubt over whether Wisconsin's Nov. 14 matchup with No. 23 Michigan is in jeopardy as well.
