Big Ten Conference mandating player availability reports for football teams

Gopher football fans will now know before kickoff which players won’t play for the U in each Big Ten game.

The Big Ten Conference said Friday evening that individual schools will need to submit availability reports to the conference office no later than two hours before kickoff, and the Big Ten will then share the lists publicly.

The Pioneer Press first reported the news Friday afternoon and the 14 member schools needed to vote on the measure before it become official.

The Big Ten also said it will partner with U.S. Integrity to enhance monitoring efforts and educational resources to help prevent prohibited sports wagering from players, coaches and staff.

“Enhanced transparency through availability reporting and partnering with U.S. Integrity strengthens our efforts to protect those who participate in our games as well as the integrity of the games themselves,” Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said in a statement. “I’m grateful for the collaboration of our schools, coaches, and administrators.”

Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck traditionally does not share any player injury information pregame nor postgame, but others, such as Ohio State and Wisconsin, under former coach Paul Chryst, shared regular updates.

The Gophers have not issued a two-deep depth chart for the past few years; Nebraska, the U’s season-opening opponent on Thursday at Huntington Bank Stadium, issued a detailed depth chart this week.

If the new policy is breached, it will be subject to disciplinary action under the Big Ten Sportsmanship Policy, the conference said. The Big Ten said it and its member schools will evaluate the process and accuracy of information during the season and refine the protocols as needed.

This topic of availability reports had steam in 2018 after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized sports betting and when Big Ten Media Days were held in Chicago in 2019. Former Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said at that 2019 event he was an advocate of a protocol to release sharing which players would or would not play.

“When players are unavailable, we should know that,” Delany said four years ago. “… I don’t have the model code (listing players as questionable, probable, etc.), but I do think it’s something that we should do and probably should have done it before.”

Fleck said in 2019 that he would support an availability report. Fleck, however, doesn’t believe the reason for a player’s absence should be included in the report, citing the “student-athlete’s rights.”

Waiting on waiver

The Gophers are still awaiting final word from the NCAA on a second-transfer waiver for Craig McDonald. The Minnehaha Academy defensive back initially played at Iowa State (2020-21) before transferring and playing at Auburn (2022).

A second transfer needs a special waiver, and the NCAA has declined previous requests, including North Carolina receiver Devontez Walker. The Tar Heels, who play Minnesota on Sept. 16, have appealed the decision.

If McDonald does not receive a waiver, he would have to sit out the 2023 season.