UNDATED (AP) — Heart inflammation is rare in Big Ten Conference athletes who’ve had COVID-19 and in most cases it causes no obvious symptoms. That's according to the first data published from the Big Ten COVID-19 Cardiac Registry. Data published Thursday in JAMA Cardiology show that 37 of nearly 1,600 athletes, or about 2%, had evidence of heart inflammation on imaging tests. Follow-up testing showed clear scans a month later in some athletes, but about 40% of the 37 had scarring. The researchers don't know whether these athletes face substantial health risks, although heart inflammation is a leading cause of sudden death in athletes. It is not known if inflammation found was caused by COVID-19 or something else.
UNDATED (AP) — College athletes would have the right to organize and collectively bargain with schools and conferences under a bill introduced Thursday by Democrats in the House and Senate. Senators Chris Murphy and Bernie Sanders announced the College Athletes Right to Organize Act. A companion bill was introduced in the House. The bill would amend the National Labor Relations Act to define college athletes who receive direct grant-in-aid from their schools as employees. A movement at Northwestern to unionize college football players was rejected by the National Labor Relations Board in 2015. The NCAA has turned to Congress for help as it tries to reform its rules to allow athletes to be paid for endorsements, personal appearances and autographs.
UNDATED (AP) — After the pandemic cut the college football bowl season in half last year, a full lineup of 44 postseason games is scheduled for 2021-22. The Bowl Season begins on Dec. 17, with Bahamas Bowl kicking off at noon ET and the Cure Bowl in Orlando later in the day. Two new bowl games are set to be played this season after canceling their scheduled debuts last year. The LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, is slated for Dec. 18 and the Boston Bowl at Fenway Park is scheduled for Dec. 29.