They used COVID as a convenient way to avoid the idea of paying players. Plus there are a lot of unknowns about the virus that turned off some university presidents. The BIG10 thought the ACC would follow suit, thus forcing the B12 and SEC to follow. They have egg on their face.

Now suddenly, there is this miraculous revelation of better testing through saliva (not a piece of news possibly available to them three weeks ago).

It'll be safe to play by Thanksgiving, and those three conferences will buckle and play. They'll set up a bowl system where the PAC and Big play each other and the MWC can go play with itself.