BIG TEN Unity Proposal
Protecting the Well-Being of All Athletes
Oversight and Transparency
- Third-party, approved by players, to administer COVID testing and to enforce all COVID-19 health and safety standards
- Sufficient penalties for noncompliance
- Mandate for athletics personnel to report suspected violations
- Ensure all athletes have up-to-date information about the risks that COVID-19 may pose to their personal health, the health of their families and the health of their communities
- Adherence to WHO and CDC guidance for sporting events and compliance with all federal, state, and local statutes and regulations
- Safety standards that are appropriate for each sport
- Social distancing requirements and mandatory mask-wearing in and around athletic facilities by coaches, staff, players, vendors, press, and visitors
- Minimum cleaning and sanitation protocols for all uniforms, equipment, and athletic facilities, including visitor locker rooms
- Temperature checks for anyone entering any athletic facility
- Contact-tracing protocols for anyone who comes into contact with college athletes and team personnel who test positive
- Testing of everyone who comes into contact with college athletes, including coaches, trainers, medical staff, nutrition staff, referees, media, etc.
- In-season testing of all of the above three days per week
- Testing twice per week with an FDA-approved test with less than 1% false negatives
- Additionally, testing on the day of competition (or within 24 hours of competition for each team that can be quarantined) with an FDA-approved test with less than 5% false negatives, with results delivered at least two hours before competition
- Immediate quarantine of any person who tests positive or exhibits symptoms
- Quarantine rules for college athletes who test positive, and protocols for their return to practice and competition
- Objective criteria for shutting down seasons should the pandemic take a turn for the worse or if teams experience significant outbreaks
- Whistleblower protections for athletics personnel and college athletes reporting a suspected violation
- Ban the use of COVID-19 liability waivers
- Automatic medical redshirt for any player who misses any competitions due to a positive test or a mandatory quarantine due to contact tracing
- Preserve athletic eligibility, scholarship, and roster spot for any player who opts out of athletic participation or is unable to play more than 40% of their scheduled season due to COVID-19 or season postponement/cancellation
- Complimentary access to the Big Ten Network for athletes’ family members
- Coverage for all out-of-pocket medical expenses related to COVID-19 (both short-term and long-term) incurred by active college athletes
- Scholarship protections (including room, board and stipend) in the event that the season is canceled due to COVID-19
- An adjustment to the cost-of-living stipend to account for the increase in personal expenses related to limited access that players have to facilities
- Reimbursement for stipends that were reduced during the summer
