Big 10 football is back, murphy 14-day quarantine blocks rutgers from all but 4 teams

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ – There’s great news for Big 10 NCAA football fans today, the conference will be playing football games this fall. The bad news is, all but four teams in the conference reside in states that require a mandatory 14-day COVID-19 travel quarantine. This means, in order to play in accordance with Governor Phil Murphy’s executive order to prevent the spread of viruses, Rutgers will have to schedule their road games. As of today, the University of Maryland, Ohio State, Penn State, and the University of Minnesota are the only four colleges that Rutgers’ football team can visit without facing a mandatory 14-day quarantine on their return to New Jersey.

Indiana University, University of Michigan, Michigan State, University of Illinois, University of Iowa, University of NebraskaNorthwestern University, Indiana University and the University of Wisconsin are schools in states currently listed in Murphy’s 14-day travel quarantine, however, those teams would have to quarantine for 14 days after arriving in New Jersey to play against Rutgers.

Enter Murphy’s weird science. Murphy’s 14-day quarantine orders are meant to control the spread of viruses by groups of individuals who travel to high-risk states and come in contact with other groups of hi-risk individuals, meaning, sending one hundred or so students to another state to play sports against another one hundred students where in some cases the COVID-19 restrictions are less strict than New Jersey, puts the governor in a very awkward spot today.

Will Murphy amend his COVID-19 travel restrictions to college football?

If he does, then he’s in a tough spot, because if a college football team can travel without restrictions, surely anyone in the state can.

Here’s what Big 10 action will look like, according to the conference.

Each institution will designate a Chief Infection Officer (CInO) who will oversee the collection and reporting of data for the Big Ten. Team test positivity rate and population positivity rate thresholds will be used to determine recommendations for continuing practice and competition.

All COVID-19 positive student-athletes will have to undergo comprehensive cardiac testing to include labs and biomarkers, ECG, Echocardiogram and a Cardiac MRI. Following cardiac evaluation, student-athletes must receive clearance from a cardiologist designated by the university for the primary purpose of cardiac clearance for COVID-19 positive student-athletes. The earliest a student-athlete can return to game competition is 21 days following a COVID-19 positive diagnosis.

In addition to the medical protocols approved, the 14 Big Ten institutions will establish a cardiac registry in an effort to examine the effects on COVID-19 positive student-athletes. The registry and associated data will attempt to answer many of the unknowns regarding the cardiac manifestations in COVID-19 positive elite athletes.

“From the onset of the pandemic, our highest priority has been the health and the safety of our students. The new medical protocols and standards put into place by the Big Ten Return To Competition Task Force were pivotal in the decision to move forward with sports in the conference,” said Morton Schapiro, Chair of the Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors and Northwestern University President, and Chair of the Return to Competition Task Force Steering Committee. “We appreciate the conference’s dedication to developing the necessary safety procedures for our students and the communities that embrace them.”

President Donald J. Trump was excited to have Big 10 Football back today.

“Great News: BIG TEN FOOTBALL IS BACK. All teams to participate. Thank you to the players, coaches, parents, and all school representatives. Have a FANTASTIC SEASON! It is my great honor to have helped,” Trump tweeted.

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.