James Franklin: PSU Will 'Exhaust Every Opportunity' If Big Ten Cancels Season

Penn State head coach James Franklin reiterated his desire Tuesday to stage college football games this fall as the Big Ten considers canceling the season or postponing it until the spring.

Asked about a possible cancellation of the season, Franklin said on Get Up that the Nittany Lions will "exhaust every opportunity out there." He also mentioned one potential plan in the event football is pushed back until the spring:

Franklin issued a statement Monday night saying the Big Ten should "consider all possibilities to preserve college football this fall."

The Mid-American Conference and Mountain West have already announced the cancellation of fall football with the possibility of picking up the season in the spring.

To account for the pandemic, the Big Ten adopted a conference-only scheduling format, rolling out the full schedule last week.

The Detroit Free Press' Orion Sang, David Jesse, Chris Solari and Chris Thomas reported Monday the conference was going even further and planning to scrap the fall season entirely.

According to ESPN's Paula Lavigne and Mark Schlabach, at least five athletes from the Big Ten have developed myocarditis, a heart condition linked to COVID-19. Administrators from across the Power Five conferences have been weighing the health risks athletes would face by carrying on with football this fall.

Were the Big Ten to announce a postponement or cancellation, it might see some of its member schools temporarily leave the conference in order to play. Franklin's comments come after Nebraska head coach Scott Frost and Ohio State head coach Ryan Day alluded to potential moves away from the Big Ten.

However, according to CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd, that might not be a viable solution.

Television rights are almost all tied to conferences rather than individual programs. If Nebraska or Ohio State leaves the Big Ten, it would create major logistical issues in terms of broadcasting games and distributing revenue.

Absent setting up a "bubble" location to play in—which could open the door for dismantling amateurism in the NCAA altogether—focusing on the details necessary for a spring season might be the most realistic option on the table for Big Ten schools.