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The Big Ten conference announced Friday it had extended the suspension of all organized team activities through May 4.

In the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic, the Big Ten originally decided back on March 13 to suspend team activities through April 6 but planned to re-evaluate. This new May deadline could also similarly move back, depending on how this crisis develops.

The conference previously cancelled all competition for the rest of the school year and announced a moratorium on all on- and off-campus recruiting for the foreseeable future. So nothing changes currently. But that May 4 deadline, should it hold, would present a chance for teams to potentially resume practice.

That's particularly important for Gophers football, which only worked in four spring ball practices before all sports shuttered. Coach P.J. Fleck has already been planning for the possibility of not returning to football until June.