Saturday's announcement that Juventus were hiring Andrea Pirlo as first-team manager made shockwaves, but it's not the first time they've picked a former club legend with no experience as a number one.

Ciro Ferrara was appointed with two games left in Juve's 2008-09 campaign, and he stuck around the following season. Barcelona had promoted a young youth-team coach named Pep Guardiola the previous summer, and things had turned out rather well: it was very much en vogue at the time. Ferrara never turned into an Italian Pep and lasted until his sacking in January 2010.

If you want to draw parallels between his appointment and Pirlo's, there are plenty. Each became a legend at another club (Napoli in Ferrara's case, AC Milan in Pirlo's) before joining Juve in mid-career. Both worked for Sky Italia. Ferrara was an assistant with the Italian national team, Pirlo agreed to be part of Roberto Mancini's staff only to then pull out due to prior sponsor commitments. Both were 41 years of age when they were appointed to the Juventus job.

This is not to say Pirlo's tenure will end up like Ferrara's. That was a different Juve, with different men in charge and different circumstances; this one has won nine straight titles, that one was fresh off promotion to Serie A and emerging from the Calciopoli scandal. Rather, it's to note that while Pirlo's appointment may have taken many off guard, we've been here before -- and in Gianluigi Buffon's lifetime, no less.

The vibe coming from Juve, however, obviously isn't about Pirlo emulating Ferrara. It's about him following in the footsteps of another great who was elevated without significant prior experience: Zinedine Zidane.

- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
- Pirlo replaces Sarri as Juventus manager

Zidane's name comes up repeatedly in conversations with people familiar with Juventus' thinking. It's not a perfect parallel -- Zidane had been retired for 10 years when he replaced Rafa Benitez in January 2016, but he had held various assistant and youth-team gigs at the club -- but Zidane and Pirlo share qualities that Juventus value.

Both are generally quiet, thoughtful men, the sort who lead by example on the pitch but also the sort who, when they do speak, people tend to listen to. Both reek charisma, a sort of understated cool that goes beyond their (however immense) achievements on the pitch. Both have worked under and absorbed the teachings of top coaches, both pragmatists and dogmatics, and both, it is thought, lean towards the former while entirely understanding the latter.

And both are seen as Ronaldo whisperers.

Just as Zidane's appointment in 2016 hinged on his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo and the belief that he could best harness the Real Madrid No. 7's talents (after some decidedly stormy moments under Benitez), so too is this choice about the Portuguese superstar. It couldn't be otherwise. He has two years left on a contract, which -- when you factor in wages and amortization -- will cost Juve some $185 million. He held up his end of the bargain this season, scoring 37 goals in all competitions, including two against Lyon when they were knocked out of the Champions League on Friday.

For better or worse, Juve are committed to him. They've put all their chips on CR7 and there's no turning back, so they had might as well give him the best possible platform to succeed -- incidentally, one of the reasons, though by no means the only one, Maurizio Sarri is gone. The coach who built his entire team play and reputation on "the collective" tried to reinvent himself as something else to accommodate Ronaldo -- and failed. Juventus were neither fish, nor fowl -- just a group of individuals. With this version of Ronaldo on the pitch, "Sarriball" was impossible and the milquetoast, watered-down football Sarri produced himself was ineffective.

Can Pirlo do better? What Juve are hoping for is that he channels the credo of the coaches who shaped his career. Starting with Carlo Ancelotti, who made the journey from dogmatist to pragmatist and, starting in his Milan days, always believed that you fit your formation and style of play to the personnel available and not the other way around. This is also pretty much what Zidane did after taking over from Benitez.

In some ways, it's really Juve's only option. This is not a team that can be rebuilt, let alone revolutionized, right now, nor should it be. They are stretched financially and their eggs are in the Cristiano basket. But there's more than enough for Pirlo to work with.

Wojciech Szczesny has turned into a very good goalkeeper. At center-back, Matthijs De Ligt and Merih Demiral (now that he's fit again) will continue to grow, and you can squeeze another year or two out of Leonardo Bonucci. Alex Sandro can be solid on the left. Up front, Paulo Dybala was Serie A's player of the year for a reason, Ronaldo is still productive and a difference maker, and you get the added benefit of a force of nature like Dejan Kulusevski to freshen things up.

However, major surgery is required in midfield, where it's not clear who got the better of the Arthur-Miralem Pjanic swap and the Panini-sticker collection of high-priced free agents (Sami Khedira, Aaron Ramsey, Adrien Rabiot) have been a disappointment in the past few years. That will be his biggest challenge.

But Pirlo has something else on his side, and it's another reason why he was chosen over more-accredited alternatives like Mauricio Pochettino or Simone Inzaghi: time and goodwill. Juve fans greeted Sarri with all the enthusiasm you might muster for a trip to the dentist. His mystique was all about the football on the pitch, and considering it was atrocious at Juve, all he had left to muster the troops was his charisma, which ranks somewhere between that of a tax accountant and a can opener.

Juventus have always seem themselves as a "results-first" club, but given the emptiness of this last Scudetto -- their ninth in a row -- there is reason to believe that many are willing to trade a season of growth and perhaps a run in the Champions League for yet another grind to the top of Serie A, especially if it's as joyless and soulless as this year's. Pirlo will get that benefit.

The other reason Pirlo was appointed is rather more cynical. A Pochettino (or even an Inzaghi) would have demanded investment, and maybe even some flexing of muscle towards the senior stars, most of whom are too old or too well paid to shift -- you'll recall even Sarri tried to offload Dybala. Pirlo, in his very first job, is unlikely to do that. He will have been told what's realistic and what's not and accepted it.

(If you really want to get even more cynical, there's a Plan B some Juve fans have long dreamed about. Zidane's contract in Madrid expires in 2021. He may extend it, he may have zero interest in returning to Turin, but at least there's an option to pursue down the road that you wouldn't have if you were tied down to a massive multiyear deal for a Pochettino or even the return of Massimiliano Allegri.)

Pirlo may or may not become a great manager. What's pretty evident is that either way, we likely won't find out in his first year at the club. There are too many hurdles, too many handicaps, too much inherited baggage to judge him fairly, no matter what he does.

From Juve's perspective, that's not a bad thing. Best-case scenario: he turns into a bearded version of Zidane, quietly but firmly getting his superstars to punch their weight and putting the players first. Worst-case scenario: Juve downshift for a season or two, without taking a major hit financially, the high-priced underachievers finally leave and they lay the foundations for a rebuild with a different manager.

Worcestershire 455 for 8 and 98 for 2 lead Glamorgan 374 (Root 118, Carlson 79, Leach 4-67) trail by 179 runs

Centurion Billy Root was the inspiration behind a stirring Glamorgan fightback after Worcestershire captain Joe Leach had plunged them into deep trouble with an early burst with the ball in the Bob Willis Trophy encounter at Blackfinch New Road.

Root, unbeaten on 53 overnight, had seen his side nosedive from 185 for 2 to 203 for 6 after Leach's spell brought the remarkable figures of 7-5-3-4.

At that juncture, the visitors were still 53 runs away from avoiding the possibility of being asked to follow on. But Root showed great application and determination in enabling his side to recover to the extent that their first-innings deficit was only 81 as they totalled 374 all out from 116.3 overs.

He went onto make 118 and it needed a stunning catch from Worcestershire keeper Ben Cox to bring his fine knock, containing 12 fours and spanning 258 balls, to an end.

Worcestershire openers Daryl Mitchell (48 not out) and Jake Libby (44) then extended their side's advantage in solid fashion during an opening stand of 97 before the latter and Leach (0) departed shortly before the close.

Root had received excellent support from Graham Wagg (54) in a seventh wicket partnership of 118 in 34 overs. The former Nottinghamshire batsman gave only one sharp chance when on 74 - to slip off spinner Brett D'Oliveira.

Then a last wicket stand of 41 between Timm van der Gugten (23 not out) and Michael Hogan (17) further helped Glamorgan's cause before they were dismissed on the stroke of tea.

Leach's initial spell wreaked havoc to the Glamorgan batting line-up. Kiran Carlson added only three runs to his overnight 76 when he pushed forward to a delivery which left him and Daryl Mitchell held a sharp low catch at second slip.

It ended a partnership of 141 in 47 overs with Root, and Leach struck again in his next over when Glamorgan captain Chris Cooke (0) went for a square drive and picked out Ed Barnard who excelled in clinging onto a low chance at point

Tom Cullen (1) was next to perish to a ball which moved away just enough to find the edge as he pushed forward - and Mitchell made no mistake with a chest high catch.

It became 203 for 6 with the last ball of the same over as Dan Douthwaite hooked at Leach and succumbed to a tumbling catch by Brett D'Oliveira running in from the mid-wicket boundary.

Only when Wagg joined Root did some much needed solidity return to the batting. A square cut for four off Leach - his 12th boundary - took Root to three figures from 258 balls.

Wagg's half century came up soon afterwards from 79 deliveries with seven fours before Root's spectacular dismissal. He nicked a delivery from Charlie Morris and saw Cox take a stunning one-handed catch in mid air away to his left.

The same combination accounted for Kieran Butt (7) in more straightforward fashion and then Wagg (54) top edged Ed Barnard to provide a simple catch to the keeper.

Dillon Pennington finally received some tangible reward to end the innings when Hogan was pouched by Barnard in another fine catch at point, as Leach finished with 4 for 67 from 26 overs, Barnard 3 for 54 and Morris 2 for 86.

Mitchell and first-innings century-maker Libby were initially watchful against some accurate Glamorgan new ball bowling from Hogan and van der Gugten.

But they gradually flourished with the 50 partnership coming up in 23 overs after successive boundaries by Libby off van der Gugten on his return to the attack.

Libby also hit Douthwaite for a trio of boundaries in one over but fell to the same bowler - caught behind - shortly before the close. Leach promoted himself but the move backfired when he was caught at slip by Charlie Hemphrey off spinner Kieran Bull.

Lancashire 33 for 0 trail Durham 180 (Lees 66, Gleeson 3-32) by 147 runs

Lancashire finished on top at the end of day one of their Bob Willis Trophy match against Durham after bowling out the home side for 180 at Emirates Riverside.

Richard Gleeson was the standout bowler for the visitors, claiming figures of 3 for 32, while the rest of the wickets were shared around the attack. Alex Lees provided the only meaningful resistance for the hosts with a patient half-century, while Ben Raine was left stranded on 24 not out at the end of the innings.

The Red Rose had a tricky spell to negotiate before stumps, but they closed the day 33 for 0, trailing the home side by 147 runs heading into day two.

Despite their struggles in the first innings against Yorkshire last week, Durham skipper Ned Eckersley opted to bat first on a glorious summer's day. However, the home side's top-order problems continued, with Sean Dickson falling to a fine one-handed catch from Alex Davies behind the stumps from a swinging Tom Bailey delivery.

Cameron Steel was then pinned lbw, leaving a straight delivery from Luke Wood. David Bedingham scored an impressive half-century against the White Rose, but on this occasion he gave his wicket away, playing a loose cut shot to a wide delivery from Gleeson and Davies claimed a simple catch behind the stumps.

Resistance came from Lees, who displayed the same patience at the crease as he did scoring a century against Yorkshire. The left-hander and Gareth Harte put on 52 for the fourth wicket, which was only ended by a run out. Harte's hesitation cost him his wicket when George Balderson connected with a direct hit from backward point. Lees maintained his poise and notched his half-century from 151 deliveries.

After Lees reached his milestone, a clatter of wickets ensued. Jack Burnham fell lbw to Gleeson after narrowly surviving an outside edge that bounced short of Keaton Jennings. Lees was put down by Jennings on 61 after Wood found his outside edge, but it only cost Lancashire five runs as Lees became the second run-out victim of the session, Dane Vilas and Davies combining for the dismissal.

Eckersley then knicked off to Balderson for 8, leaving Durham seven down before the 150-run mark.

Raine provided aggression before being penned back by the Lancashire attack. His attempt to cut loose off Liam Hurt resulted in an edge that just looped over Liam Livingstone at second slip. Hurt's persistence paid off when Brydon Carse pulled a short ball straight into the hands of Vilas at square leg.

Gleeson's return from the Finchale End yielded the wicket of Matt Salisbury lbw for 1 before Livingstone wrapped up the Durham innings by removing Chris Rushworth caught behind.

Lancashire enjoyed a solid start to their reply with Jennings and Davies blunting the new-ball attack of Rushworth and Carse, who struggled to find his rhythm following his return from England's white-ball squad earlier this month. It allowed Jennings and Davies to settle and leave the visitors unscathed from a nine-over burst at the close.

Hampshire 296 (Murtagh 4-61) and 60 for 2 need a further 98 to beat Middlesex 252 and 201 (Gubbins 46, Organ 4-42)

Felix Organ stepped into the breach to bowl injury-hit Hampshire into a winning position with a four-wicket haul against Middlesex at Radlett.

Organ was called on to send down 13 overs of offbreaks during Middlesex's second innings after a second freak injury in as many days, to seamer Ryan Stevenson, deprived the visitors of two frontline bowlers. But the 21-year-old responded with figures of 4 for 42 - his second-best return in red-ball cricket - as the home side were dismissed for 201 to leave Hampshire chasing a victory target of 158.

Although they lost two wickets - and will probably have just nine fit batsmen - Sam Northeast's side advanced to 60 for 2 at stumps and go into the final day as clear favourites to clinch their first victory in the Bob Willis Trophy.

The visitors had resumed their first innings in the morning with a 27-run advantage - which they extended by another 17 before Tim Murtagh claimed the last two wickets inside the first half-hour.

Middlesex quickly wiped out their 44-run deficit, with Max Holden playing some attacking shots before Keith Barker had him caught behind. But play was held up soon afterwards when Stevenson, chasing Sam Robson's leg-side drive to the boundary, skidded into a pitchside marquee and gashed his shin on one of the supporting poles.

Even without both Stevenson and spinner Liam Dawson - who had sustained an Achilles tendon injury while batting the previous day - Hampshire's remaining bowlers were able to peg their hosts back.

Ian Holland picked up the wicket of Robson just before lunch, but Nick Gubbins and Middlesex captain Stephen Eskinazi threatened to seize control of the game as they put together a partnership of 54. Gubbins was progressing nicely, with 46 from 65 deliveries, until he was given out leg before to former team-mate James Fuller - although it appeared the ball might have taken the left-hander's inside edge before hitting the pad.

However, his dismissal prompted a clatter of wickets, with Eskinazi top-edging a sweep into the hands of deep square leg in Organ's next over and Martin Andersson neatly yorked by Fuller.

A blinding catch at cover by substitute Brad Wheal removed Nathan Sowter to reward Holland for his tidy spell, while Organ also trapped John Simpson lbw for 23 before returning to take two more wickets post-tea. Murtagh registered a couple of boundaries off Barker to lift the Middlesex total above 200 before edging the left-armer to second slip, leaving Hampshire to face 26 overs ahead of stumps.

Organ and Joe Weatherley - who top scored with 98 in Hampshire's first innings - made steady progress until James Harris produced the breakthrough in his first over, tempting Organ to prod at an outswinger.

Left-arm spinner Thilan Wallalawita matched that feat by having Tom Alsop, who had just survived a sharp chance to short leg, caught at first slip with his fifth delivery to leave Hampshire 48 for 2. But Weatherley and Northeast batted sensibly until the close, bringing the target down to just 98 going into day four.

Rajasthan Royals on August 20. Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians on August 21. Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Capitals between August 21 or 22. Those are the travel dates for teams reaching UAE via charter flights for the 2020 edition between September 19 and November 10.

Super Kings, who finished runner-up in 2019, are expected to play defending champions Mumbai Indians in the tournament opener as per the norm although the IPL is yet to release the final schedule.

A set of Mumbai players and support staff have already been in Mumbai since last week for quarantine and tests. It could not be confirmed whether Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma along with the coaching staff and Zaheer Khan, their team director, are part of the group that is isolating.

ALSO READ: Rohit wary of returning from 'longest gap without holding a bat'

Recently Rohit admitted that having not batted for six months since his calf injury in February, he was looking forward to the IPL challenge eagerly. Rohit had also planned to speak to Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) regarding training at their indoor facility.

Super Kings' captain MS Dhoni, meanwhile, reportedly had a few training sessions at the indoor academy in his native Ranchi last week. Dhoni will be part of a group of about 15 Indian players in the short camp planned by the Super Kings at Chepauk, which is awaiting a written permission from the Tamil Nadu government.

Super Kings are the only team so far to have planned a camp, which is expected to start on August 16. This will be the second camp for the Super Kings players who were in Chennai in March for a preparatory camp when the IPL was originally meant to start on March 29.

"We want to have a camp in Chennai from August 16 till 20th," Kasi Viswanathan, the Super Kings chief executive officer, told ESPNcricinfo. "We have applied to the Tamil Nadu government for permission. Orally they have said yes, but we have still not got the written letter of approval. If the written approval comes we are planning for a camp for the Indian players alone."

Viswanthan said that players would undergo testing before they come to Chennai and then two further tests on August 17 and 18. In case there is no camp, the players would leave on August 21 from Chennai.

Royal Challengers Bangalore, which is lead, by Indian captain Virat Kohli, are likely to fly out to Dubai via a charter from Bengaluru in the last week of August. They are, however, looking to arrive "preferably on 22-23 August", as per a team official. ESPNcricinfo understands that all players and support staff have tested negative in the first round of testing.

The Indian contingent will arrive in Bengaluru this week and undergo a week-long quarantine period at a five-star hotel before flying out. It's likely all of them will undergo another round of testing before flying out.

Along with the Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders, too, are expected to depart on August 20 for the UAE. The Knight Riders is understood to be finalizing the travel schedule and are likely to set base in Abu Dhabi. Both squads would fly out of Mumbai on separate charter flights.

Kings XI Punjab, too, are expected to land in the UAE between August 21 or 22 and will be staying in Dubai. The Kings XI travel group, which would take a charter flight out of Bengaluru, would be lead by their new captain KL Rahul and former India captain Anil Kumble, who is the team director.

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals have not yet finalised their travel itinearary but are expected to depart between Ausgust 21 and 22.

Derbyshire 408 (Madsen 103, Hosein 66*, Reece 56, du Plooy 55) and 12 for 1 beat Leicestershire 199 (Dearden 70, Melton 4-22 and 220 (Critchley 6-73) by nine wickets

Legspinner Matt Critchley picked up career-best figures of 6 for 73 as Derbyshire extended their lead at the top of the North Group by completing a nine-wicket victory over Leicestershire in the Bob Willis Trophy match at the Fischer County Ground, Grace Road

Critchley had Colin Ackermann caught at first slip by a diving Wayne Madsen, Ben Mike caught at second slip by Leus du Plooy and Dieter Klein caught behind by wicketkeeper Harvey Hosein in the space of five balls as the Foxes collapsed from 104 for 2 to 140 for 8. Only a defiant last-wicket stand of 52 between Harry Swindells and Chris Wright, batting with a runner, prevented Leicestershire being beaten by an innings.

The morning had seen a double wicket maiden from first-class debutant Ed Barnes raise Derbyshire's hope of forcing a three-day win. The young Yorkshireman, on loan at Derbyshire until the end of the season, bowled nightwatchman Callum Parkinson off the inside edge as the batsman tried to leave a delivery just outside off stump, and three balls later found the edge of left-hander Ben Slater's bat and saw Madsen hold a waist-high catch at first slip to leave Leicestershire struggling on 34 for 2.

They would have been in even deeper trouble if Leus du Plooy had been able to hold a chance given by Harry Dearden soon afterwards, the batsman edging an attempted cut at a wide delivery from Dustin Melton to second slip, where du Plooy got both hands to the ball but could not hang on.

Dearden played aggressively after lunch, hitting 21 runs off 14 balls and raising a 50 partnership with opener Hassan Azad, but an attempt to clear mid-on off the bowling of Critchley gave Luis Reece a simple catch. Azad followed, leg before wicket on the back foot to the occasional left-arm spin of du Plooy, and the writing was on the wall for the Foxes when George Rhodes tried to clip a full straight ball from Melton through midwicket, missed, and was palpably leg before wicket.

Critchley's three in five made the win all but certain, though Will Davis, Swindells - who finished on a career-best 41 not out - and Wright battled impressively to ensure the home side avoided the ignominy of an innings defeat.

With the pitch offering increasing turn, left-arm spinner Parkinson then had Derbyshire captain Billy Godleman caught behind before Reece and Madsen saw their side over the line for their second win in as many matches.

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh released a statement Monday advocating for the college football season to go on as planned.

"I would like to address the rumors that are swirling today," Harbaugh said in the statement. "I'm not advocating for football this fall because of my passion or our players' desire to play but because of the facts accumulated over the last eight weeks since our players returned to campus on June 13."

Harbaugh's statement comes after commissioners of the Power 5 conferences held an emergency meeting on Sunday because of growing concerns among college athletic officials that the upcoming fall sports season can't be played because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In the statement, Harbaugh makes a case for why a season could still safely go on, which includes the program having zero positive tests out of the last 353 administered, zero positive tests among the coaches and staff over the entire eight weeks of testing, following CDC guidelines and "self‐implemented stricter standards for contacting tracing in quarantining to prevent spread."

"We have developed a great prototype for how we can make this work and provide the opportunity for players to play. If you are transparent and follow the rules, this is how it can be done.

"I am forever proud of our players, parents, coaches and staff for being leaders and role models in our sport, at our institution and in society. We will continue to follow all health and safety guidelines, teach, train, and coach those young men and their families that have put their trust in us, while advocating for a football season in the fall."

Harbaugh ended the statement with the hashtags "#WEWANTTOPLAY" and "#WEWANTTOCOACH" in support of the players who came together Sunday night to create a joint statement that expressed their desire to play the 2020 season.

A rare heart condition that could be linked with the coronavirus is fueling concern among Power 5 conference administrators about the viability of college sports this fall.

Myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscle, has been found in at least five Big Ten Conference athletes and among several other athletes in other conferences, according to two sources with knowledge of athletes' medical care.

The condition is usually caused by a viral infection, including those that cause the common cold, H1N1 influenza or mononucleosis. Left undiagnosed and untreated, it can cause heart damage and sudden cardiac arrest, which can be fatal. It is a rare condition, but the COVID-19 virus has been linked with myocarditis with a higher frequency than other viruses, based on limited studies and anecdotal evidence since the start of the pandemic.

The concern has "made the bar higher" for returning to fall sports, said Dr. Jonathan Drezner, director of the University of Washington Medicine Center for Sports Cardiology and a sports medicine physician who advises the NCAA on cardiac issues, "and it could be we don't get there."

Conference officials and athletic directors told ESPN that the uncertainty about the long-term effects of myocarditis has been discussed in meetings of presidents and chancellors, commissioners and athletics directors, and health advisory board members from the Big Ten, Pac-12 and other conferences around the country. Last week, college administrators saw a Facebook post from Debbie Rucker, mother of Indiana offensive lineman Brady Feeney, who wrote that her son was dealing with potential heart problems after battling COVID-19.

The Mid-American Conference, after receiving medical reports about myocarditis and other problems associated with the coronavirus, was the first FBS conference to postpone fall sports on Saturday.

"What we don't know was really haunting us, and that's why we came to our final decision," Northern Illinois athletics director Sean Frazier said. "That's part of the data that our presidents used. This mom gave us a play-by-play. That stuff is extremely scary."

Dr. John MacKnight, the head primary care team physician at the University of Virginia, said that while questions about COVID-19 testing availability, turnaround time for results, and the impact of a possible community surge of cases have all been factors in deciding to return to competition, the long-term cardiac concerns for athletes may be the tipping point.

"We are collectively, as a sports nation, not quite ready to feel entirely comfortable with what that may look like for our young people down the line, and we are not going to put them in that situation," he said. MacKnight, who directs care for Virginia's athletes, and other school physicians are members of advisory groups that counsel universities and conferences on medical decisions.

MacKnight said "the likelihood the individual goes on to have myocardial complication is very low" in athletes who had no or very low-grade COVID-19 symptoms, but added that there needs to be more studies and data.

"There have been some concerns raised for that very reason: Do you not have uneasiness about having athletes participating knowing that you don't know what that longer-range outlook is? The answer is of course, yes," he said. "We don't have enough information to say this is the likelihood that this will or will not happen."

A spokesperson for the NCAA deferred questions about the number of athletes with myocarditis to individual colleges or conferences. NCAA chief medical officer Dr. Brian Hainline was not available for comment.

Dr. Matthew Martinez, director of sports cardiology for Atlantic Health System in New Jersey, said he has received calls from physicians from at least a dozen Power 5 schools who have identified more than a dozen athletes with some post-COVID-19 myocardial injury. He said about half of them had symptoms.

"Initially we thought if you didn't have significant symptoms that you are probably at less risk. We are now finding that that may not be true," he said.

Martinez, who is the league cardiologist for Major League Soccer, team cardiologist for the New York Jets and a consultant for the National Basketball Players Association, said based on what he's seen so far among professional athletes who have had COVID-19, "I'm hopeful the number is under 5%" who have heart-related issues.

Even though the percentage is likely small, Martinez said there is still so much unknown that it is wise to take a conservative approach in returning athletes to play.

"We're listening to doctors and scientists and continuing to prepare our schedule and prepare for the season," Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby told The Dallas Morning News on Sunday. "And yet the last two or three weeks have not been good to us. You'd be less than forthright if you didn't acknowledge between the myocarditis and some of the other things that are new, it hasn't raised the concern level. But nothing has been decided at this point."

People can get myocardial inflammation, feel fine and never know it, Drezner said. He said most athletes who get myocarditis will be able to safely return to sports after a restriction of activity for three to six months. But he said that in some cases, the inflammation can turn to scar tissue and put the patient at risk for an irregular heartbeat that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest, which can be triggered by exercise.

A study published in July in JAMA Cardiology found that out of 100 adult patients in Germany who had recovered from the COVID-19 infection, 60% had findings of ongoing myocardial inflammation. A recent review of myocarditis listed with the National Center for Biotechnology Information cites some estimates that find 1% to 5% of all patients with acute viral infections may involve the myocardium, or the muscular tissue, of the heart.

"Myocarditis itself is certainly not new," Drezner said, adding that prior studies have found that myocarditis represents up to 9% of sudden cardiac deaths among athletes.

But there have been no specific studies of COVID-related myocarditis on college-age adults or athletes. "I've heard about a handful of cases between some of the bigger schools," he said, but said he was not aware of any cases specifically in the Pac-12. "Whether or not it's 1% or 10%, it's still important."

Multiple colleges have started screening athletes for the condition, although their procedures vary, as does their confidence on whether those precautions will be enough to allow athletes to safely return to sports this fall.

Drezner said he and Dr. Aaron Baggish, director of the cardiovascular performance program at the Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center and cardiologist for the New England Patriots, among other teams, plan to discuss how to start collecting COVID-19-related cardiac information on college athletes with Hainline, the NCAA chief medical officer, this week.

"We'll be able to collect the results that we need to have a better understanding of what's going on," Drezner said.

A cardiac MRI provides the best definition of the heart in order to detect myocarditis and is the last step in a five-step component Drezner said he uses in assessing athletes at the University of Washington.

Drezner said post-COVID-19 cardiac evaluation for his Washington athletes includes: a review of any cardiovascular symptoms in athletes who have had COVID-19, an electrocardiogram -- a measure of the heart's electrical signals -- to check for abnormalities, a blood test for troponin proteins that can signal heart inflammation, and a heart ultrasound to measure heart structure and function.

Depending on the results of those tests, he would conduct a short-term medical reevaluation. If needed, the last step would be the cardiac MRI.

Several athletic trainers and team physicians from within the Power 5 conferences told ESPN of different tactics they're taking to address possible heart issues related to COVID-19 among athletes. Murphy Grant, a veteran athletic trainer and senior associate athletics director and athletics health care administrator at Wake Forest, said athletes who have had a confirmed positive COVID-19 test are being evaluated by a team physician 14 days after they recover, prior to returning to any sport-related activity, and that all athletes are receiving an electrocardiogram. If that detects any possible problems, the athlete would see a cardiac specialist, but that hasn't yet been necessary, he said.

"We send a self-assessment every single day to [Wake Forest] student-athletes that they have to fill out electronically," Grant said. "If something pops up -- shortness of breath, chest pain, trouble breathing -- our athletic trainers will know."

MacKnight, the team physician at Virginia, said none of the athletes there have been diagnosed with myocarditis. He said he routinely consults with other physicians in the conference and said he was not aware of any athletes with COVID-related myocarditis in the ACC.

He said athletes at Virginia who have tested positive for COVID-19 are assessed for cardiac issues based on the severity of their COVID-19 symptoms, which he said might be a more conservative approach than what schools are doing elsewhere.

The German study found incidents of ongoing myocardial inflammation independent of preexisting conditions or the severity of COVID-19 in patients.

At Virginia, after being held out of participation up to three weeks, an athlete would get a repeat physical exam and electrocardiogram, and if those are normal for that athlete, the athlete would be slowly eased back into activity, MacKnight said. Any athlete who was hospitalized or had severe symptoms would receive additional tests and a referral to the cardiologist, he said.

"We had a fair number of positive [COVID-19] cases in the ACC ... We're talking about hundreds," he said. "I'm aware of very few of them that would even fit into that higher illness severity category."

West Virginia athletic director Shane Lyons, who is chair of the NCAA's football oversight committee, recently made it mandatory at WVU that any athlete who tests positive for COVID-19 undergoes a series of tests, minimally an EKG, then an echocardiogram to determine if there are any abnormalities. If there are, Lyons said the athlete would then get a cardiac MRI -- all of which can be done through a team of doctors at the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute.

"We understand it's a concern of not understanding the impact the virus has on the heart, but is there not a possibility that we could require student-athletes who test positive -- asymptomatic or symptomatic -- that they go through heart workouts, such as EKG, echocardiogram, whatever their institution requires from a cardiac specialist?" Lyons said. "I don't think it's much different than a risk of an individual with sickle cell in that we mandate they go through a screening process as well. If this is a concern, and you have differing opinions of cardiologists, if they can detect whether it's going to be safe to play or not, and we also need the American Heart Association to continue evaluating and weighing in on the issue."

Dr. Kyle Goerl, team physician at Kansas State University who has worked with Drezner and others on providing advice to the NCAA, said at his school, all incoming athletes are tested for present COVID-19 infection by nasal swab and with a blood test for antibodies, which might indicate a prior infection.

Those who test positive receive an electrocardiogram and a blood test for troponin; the results of those tests and the degree of symptoms would help doctors determine whether to move forward with additional testing, he said. Even among the Power 5 schools, resources vary and factor into a program's protocol, he said.

"Getting an echocardiogram in Seattle, Washington, is much different than getting one done in Manhattan, Kansas," he said.

Goerl said none of the athletes at KSU have been found to have post-COVID heart issues so far, and he said he could not comment on whether there have been cases elsewhere in the Big 12.

Multiple attempts to reach members of the SEC's medical advisory task force were unsuccessful or they declined to comment.

Heart issues linked to COVID-19 gained attention last week after the mother of Indiana offensive lineman Feeney posted her son's plight on Facebook. She wrote: "Unfortunately this virus hit my son very hard compared to most of his teammates. Here was a kid in perfect health, great physical condition and due to the virus ended up going to the ER because of breathing issues. After 14 days of hell battling the horrible virus, his school did additional testing on all those that were positive. My son even received extra tests because he was one of the worst cases. Now we are dealing with possible heart issues! He is still experiencing additional symptoms and his blood work is indicating additional problems. Bottom line, even if your son's schools do everything right to protect them, they CAN'T PROTECT THEM!!"

Feeney, an incoming freshman from St. Louis, was scheduled to visit a cardiologist last week. On Monday, in response to college football players around the country joining to Tweet #WeWantToPlay, Feeney wrote on Twitter: "Covid-19 is serious. I never thought I would have serious health complications from the virus, but look at what happened. ... We need to listen to our medical experts."

University of Houston defensive lineman Sedrick Williams announced on Facebook on Saturday that he was opting out of the 2020 season because of heart problems associated with COVID-19. Williams, a transfer from Kilgore College in Texas, tested positive in June and spent 14 days in quarantine.

"As a result of the virus, I've had complications with my heart and I really don't know the outcome or what's in store for me in the future," Williams wrote. "I just know that my life is more precious to me than football could ever be. I've decided to opt out of the 2020 football season due to these complications. I won't take this year for granted. I'm coming back bigger, faster and stronger than ever."

The Boston Red Sox announced Aug. 1 that pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez was diagnosed with myocarditis and would miss the rest of the season. He had tested positive for COVID-19 before the start of summer camp and had been allowed to return to practice July 18. But a cardiac MRI a week later revealed his condition.

Drezner, the University of Washington physician, said the concern about myocarditis should "make all of us sort of press pause and do some due diligence so that we can feel the athlete is safe to exercise.

"We can't rush into fall sports," he said. "If we're going to allow sports -- where you can't effectively physically distance -- we have to ensure that the risk on the playing field is not necessarily higher than the risk they're dealing with the rest of their college experience.

"If you can't achieve that, you should not be putting your athletes at risk," he said.

Dr. Peter Dean, a pediatric cardiologist at the University of Virginia who treats the college's athletes along with MacKnight, was co-author of an analysis published last month by the American College of Cardiology about returning to play after a coronavirus infection. Although he hasn't diagnosed myocarditis in any Virginia athletes who have had COVID-19 so far, he said he's had athletes in the past with myocarditis caused by other factors.

"Most of the kids I have seen [who have myocarditis] had symptoms," such as chest pains or palpitations, or they had passed out, he said. "After having them rest for three to six months, you repeat testing. If it's all normal, they're clear to go back to playing."

The current screening for post-COVID-19 myocarditis among college athletes can detect the condition in those who haven't had any symptoms, and the safest move is to hold them out, he said. But he said it's helpful to keep in mind that the danger posed to athletes overall from COVID-19 is small.

"These are healthy kids who are generally not overweight ... The risk of something awful is incredibly low," he said. "I almost worry more about the coaching staff, the referees, and grandma and grandpa."

ESPN college football reporter Heather Dinich and researcher John Mastroberardino contributed to this report.

Nebraska football coach Scott Frost said Monday that the Cornhuskers are prepared to play this upcoming season -- even if it's outside the Big Ten.

"We're a proud member of the Big Ten," Frost said during a Zoom teleconference with reporters. "We want to play a Big Ten schedule. I think the only reason we would look at any other options is if for some reason the Big Ten wasn't playing and only a handful of teams from the Big Ten wanted to continue playing. I think if that's the case, I think we're prepared to look at any and all options."

On Sunday, ESPN first reported that Big Ten presidents, following a meeting on Saturday, were ready to cancel the fall sports season, and they wanted to gauge whether commissioners and university presidents and chancellors from the other Power 5 conferences -- the ACC, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC -- will fall in line with them.

Sources told ESPN that a vast majority of Big Ten presidents have indicated that they would vote to postpone the football season, hopefully to the spring. The Big Ten presidents met again Sunday night but didn't vote and took no action, according to a league spokesman.

Nebraska president Walter E. Carter Jr. and athletic director Bill Moos couldn't be immediately reached for comment.

"I know where our university president stands, and he wants to play," Frost said.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day also indicated on Twitter that he's not done fighting to play this season.

Swinging as hard as we possibly can right now for these players!! This isn't over! #FIGHT

— Ryan Day (@ryandaytime) August 10, 2020

Penn State coach James Franklin expressed a similar sentiment, tweeting, "I love our players & believe it is my responsibility to help them chase their dreams, both collectively & individually. I am willing to fight WITH them & for our program!"

Frost, a former Nebraska quarterback, said being on campus was the safest place for his players to be.

"If we send kids home, they're going to be in closer contact with a lot of family members and other people that might be at higher risk for coronavirus than if we keep them here in an environment, where they're around other healthy, young people," Frost said. "If I had a son, I would want him playing football. I think this is the safest place he could be, and a lot of schools around the conference probably feel the same way, that the safest environment we can put these guys in is an environment where they're being monitored constantly, being screened, being tested, being taken care of [and] being protected if they do get sick.

"I'm passionate about this because our guys want to play. I'm proud of who they are and they decisions they've made. I think it's our responsibility to make sure they respect this virus. I'm not a doctor and I don't understand a lot of these things. The medical experts that we're leaning on are the ones that are guiding our decisions."

Nebraska estimates it would lose between $80 million and $120 million if the season isn't played.

"The leadership at the University of Nebraska has been incredible," Frost said. "The guys that I've worked with, from the governor to Ted Carter to [Nebraska chancellor] Ronnie Green, Bill Moos and others, we're committed to play football at the University of Nebraska. I think our university is committed to playing football any way we possibly can, regardless of what anybody else does. I look forward to the opportunity to let our guys get on the field and show the progress they've made in a safe environment."

Frost said he isn't in favor of postponing the season to the spring because it would require his players to play two seasons in one calendar year.

"People need to understand the carnage and aftermath of what college athletics looks like if we don't play," Frost said.