The Big Ten Conference announced an overhaul in its concussion policies, establishing conference-wide protocol for the prevention and treatment of head injuries.
“The concussion protocols will move from best practices and minimum requirements for schools to regulatory standards by the conference,” a Monday news release read.
Until now, each member institution has controlled its own concussion policies.
An independent, neutral athletic trainer will be placed in replay booths and be granted the ability to contact on-field officials. The trainer’s responsibility will be to provide an independent set of eyes to monitor concussions and head injuries.
A Big Ten concussion management plan was first established in 2010 to combat the sport’s growing head injury epidemic. Results have been mixed and made difficult by underreporting from athletes and schools alike.
In the 2013 football season, Big Ten football programs announced just 11 concussions, according to a study by Al-Jazeera’s America Tonight.
Alden Woods
