Injuries to players in college football have traditionally been kept secret by coachesGETTY IMAGES
The Big Ten has asked the NCAA to "consider developing a national college football injury reporting system in reaction to the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that allows states to legalize sports gambling," according to Dennis Dodd of CBSSPORTS.com. The conference's ADs "proposed to the NCAA Football Oversight Committee in June what would be a first-ever weekly national injury reporting mandate." The ADs "claim an injury report is necessary to protect the integrity of the sport." Such a move would "alter one of the most ingrained and long-standing traditions in college football -- coaches concealing injuries." Ohio State's Gene Smith said, "We have to be more transparent. ... We don't know if we want to report as many days as the NFL, but clearly on Mondays if somebody is injured from Saturday and you know they're not going to play the following Saturday because they broke their leg, why not just say that?" Dodd noted the NFL "requires its teams to release three practice participation reports during game weeks." Sources said that the NCAA Football Oversight Committee was "receptive but tabled further consideration of the measure following its June meeting." It is "not clear how soon the proposal could become permanent legislation as it first needs to be reviewed and approved by the committee" (CBSSPORTS.com, 7/2).
