The Big Ten is now discussing a football season of at least eight games that would start the week of Thanksgiving, per a report by Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Potrykus added that “two college football people familiar with the Big Ten” stated that demands from parent groups have helped put pressure on the conference to formulate a new schedule.

The Penn State Football Parents Association released a statement earlier this month urging the fall season to be played. After the conference’s decision to postpone the season, the Parents Association published a letter demanding answers from Commissioner Kevin Warren.

The letter’s signers were especially frustrated with the conference’s six-day turnaround between releasing its football schedule and postponing fall sports.

“We want to know what changed in six days and why was this decision rushed before the Big Ten Conference and NCAA could answer some of the most basic questions regarding the future of these student-athletes,” the parents wrote to President Eric Barron and Warren

In response to the frustration from parents and players, Warren released a statement in which he made it clear that the conference’s leadership was “overwhelmingly in support” of postponing fall sports. He added that the topic wouldn’t be revisited.

Penn State football head coach James Franklin has already made it clear that he was not a fan of how the Big Ten went about postponing the fall season. Franklin explained earlier this month that he would be in support of a winter football season, but would want it to be played as soon as possible.

Penn State Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Sandy Barbour has also stated that a football season postponed to the spring semester is a “viable option.” She included that plans for a spring football season could be released in the near future.

If a season is unable to start on the week of Thanksgiving, the conference could still have a chance at a January start, according to Potrykus’ report.

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