CHICAGO _ Four FBS conferences postponed fall sports because of COVID-19 concerns last month.
Several football games scheduled in conferences that have been playing were postponed or canceled. Outbreaks have occurred on numerous campuses nationwide.
But games continued in the ACC and Big 12, and a push from many fans, players, coaches, players' parents and President Donald Trump urged conferences such as the Big Ten to reconsider.
It worked. All 10 FBS conferences will be on the field this fall.
The Big Ten said medical advice guided its Aug. 11 decision to postpone football and all fall sports after an 11-3 vote by university presidents and chancellors. The conference cited medical advice again when it announced about a month later that it would play football after all in a unanimous vote, planning to start an eight- or nine-game schedule Oct. 23-24.
The Pac-12 on Thursday also reversed course and announced it would come back earlier than expected, as did the Mountain West. The Mid-American, the first major football conference to postpone its season because of the pandemic, became the final one to jump back in Friday.
The Big Ten laid out plans for rigorous daily testing and cardiac MRI scans as it gears up for the late October start. Athletes who test positive will sit out 21 days, and teams with a positivity test rate of more than 5% and an individual rate greater than 7.5% must stop games and practices for seven days.
Will it be enough as the nation tops 204,000 deaths and teams in various conferences continue to halt practices after outbreaks?
Medical and health experts answered some of the most prevalent questions. Some responses have been edited for clarity.
