Iowa football cancels practice as reports surface that Big Ten will punt fall season

As a fall college football season seemingly hangs in the balance, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz on Monday canceled the team’s previously scheduled 11 a.m. practice. He informed the team of the news during a Zoom call earlier in the morning, several sources with direct knowledge of the situation said.

The practice would have been the fourth of the Hawkeyes' fall training camp.

The development was the latest in a flurry of ominous signs that the winds had moved against the prospect of Big Ten Conference schools having football games, due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the Dan Patrick Show, the Big Ten was set to cancel the fall sports season after a vote of university presidents Sunday night. Patrick reported that the vote was 12-2 to postpone the season until the spring, with Iowa and Nebraska being the only schools that voted to play on. The Register has confirmed that UI President Bruce Harreld supports playing but could not verify the accuracy of the 12-2 outcome. The Detroit Free Press on Monday also reported that the Big Ten was set to cancel the season.

Just last week, the Big Ten revealed a 10-game conference schedule, with games starting Sept. 3. And on Friday, Iowa announced a seating plan for five Kinnick Stadium home games in which it would try to accommodate between 10,000 and 15,000 fans.