The Big Ten Conference has voted to postpone all sports this fall because of the coronavirus pandemic.

"The mental and physical health and welfare of our student-athletes has been at the center of every decision we have made regarding the ability to proceed forward," Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren said in a statement.

The decision applies to all fall sports, including football, men's and women's cross country, field hockey, men's and women's soccer and women's volleyball. The conference hopes to reschedule the sports in the spring.

"While I know our decision today will be disappointing in many ways for our thousands of student-athletes and their families, I am heartened and inspired by their resilience, their insightful and discerning thoughts, and their participation through our conversations to this point. Everyone associated with the Big Ten Conference and its member institutions is committed to getting everyone back to competition as soon as it is safe to do so," Warren said.

A few hours later, the PAC-12 announced that they are suspending sports through the end of the year. The conference said that sports could resume in early 2021 if the coronavirus pandemic is under control.

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