Big Ten instituting mandatory availability reports on football gamedays

The Big Ten Conference will be the first major conference to institute mandatory gameday availability reports for football teams, the league announced on Friday.

The availability reports will help give opposing coaches and fans alike a more standardized announcement of who can and can’t play and who might be limited before each game.

Each program will have to submit an availability report two hours before kickoff, and the Big Ten will post the availability reports on its website and on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

With the proliferation of sports gambling, the move is proactive in attempting to curb any sort of issues that may arise from asymmetrical reporting.

“The well-being of our students, coaches, and staff, as well as the integrity of our competitions are of paramount importance,” Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said in a press release. “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. I’m grateful for the collaboration of our schools, coaches, and administrators.”

The Big Ten is also partnering with U.S. Integrity (USI) to enhance monitoring efforts and provide additional educational resources to help athletes and coaches alike avoid the pitfalls of prohibited sports gambling.

The league has been at the forefront of a handful of recent gambling scandals, with the state of Iowa investigating both Iowa and Iowa State over wagers placed by student-athletes and staffers in the last couple years.

Multiple players have faced disciplinary measures including suspension as a result of placing prohibited wagers on games.

As for the availability reports, the move is something other conferences will likely be monitoring closely. Many coaches have advocated for a standardized approach to reporting in recent years, as policies vary from program to program.

The veil of secrecy has been used by some coaches as a form of gamesmanship, forcing opponents to prepare for players that might not be available to play in a game.

Because the Big Ten’s mandatory availability reports will be on gameday, it’s unclear how much it will actually help teams in their preparation. However, it could become the first step toward a more standardized reporting approach for injuries and availability across the board in the sport.