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Moos explains why Big Ten teams couldn't play games on their own

On Monday, Nebraska head coach Scott Frost drew a lot of attention when he said his football program was prepared to play games outside of the Big Ten if the 2020 football season was canceled.

Nobody knew on Monday at 1:30 pm that's what was coming down the pipe in 24 hours. Frost's comments, followed by the Big Ten's decision to postpone the 2020 fall sports season sent of a national storm.

Was Nebraska really going to defy the Big Ten and play games on their own? Truth is, the Huskers weren't the only Big Ten program exhausting their options and looking to do this. Multiple Big Ten teams had lines in the water until they were informed it's not allowed, since there was a chance of the league playing a spring season.

“We felt indeed if the season was canceled, that we needed to be prepared to look at some options and alternatives to hopefully play six, seven, eight, nine, 10 games with opponents outside of the Big Ten,” NU Athletic Director Bill Moos said on the Husker Sports Network on Thursday.

“We were looking at that hoping and planning to play that reduced 10-game schedule that was put out by the Big Ten that I had a lot to do with, but wanted some options in the event we couldn’t.

"As you know, and our fans know that was not permissible primarily I feel because the season wasn’t really 'canceled,' it was 'postponed.' That means hopefully we are going to play in the spring or sometime after the 1st of the calendar year. That would’ve made it difficult to play a series of non-conference games in the fall, and then come back and play a conference season in the spring. At least that’s how the conference felt. It wasn’t how Scott (Frost) and I felt.

Those comments, followed by the national media's reaction set off a storm that the Huskers were looking at leaving the Big Ten.

Moos said that was never the case.

"At the end of the day, we are proud members of the Big Ten. It’s a prestigious conference, and we will be in compliance. We thought all the way until yesterday that we may have a chance to do that.”

As for the comments Frost made Monday, Moos said he stands fully behind his head coach.

“I thought it was outstanding,” Moos said of Frost’s Monday press conference. “Scott Frost is not only very articulate, he’s very smart, he’s passionate, he’s caring. He isn’t just saying these things to be talking, he means this. We need to remember, and our fans need to remember that he made those comments before any decision was made on the season. He voiced what he felt.

"I thought he was very appropriate and respectful to the Big Ten, as we all are. Let me tell you, Scott Frost will have a great record as the head football coach at the University of Nebraska, but how he has handled this, and what his priorities have been is what he’s all about. I watched him and listened to that, and never have I ever been in doubt that he’s the right guy to be leading this football program. I hope everybody understands how fortunate we are to have him.”

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