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After Big Ten canceled season, Freiermuth family helped bring it back

Daily News of Newburyport - 10/26/2020

Oct. 26--MERRIMAC -- Dianne Freiermuth wasn't sure if she would ever get to see her son play for Penn State football again. The season had been in flux ever since the pandemic broke out in March, and when the Big Ten conference announced in August it was canceling the season, it looked as if Pat Freiermuth's days as a Nittany Lion were over.

It's been a roller coaster ride since then, but through determination, advocacy and some breakthroughs in rapid testing for the coronavirus, the Big Ten players and their families helped convince their conference presidents to reconsider the decision. The league kicked off its season on Saturday, and while they weren't able to attend in person, Dianne and her family finally got to see Pat back on the field for the first time in nearly a year.

"He wanted this so much and it stinks we can't go, but in the end what we fought for was for them to have a season, and that's what they're able to do," she said. "That's what it's all about."

The junior tight end from Merrimac finished with seven catches for 60 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown on Penn State's first drive of the season to become the all-time leader in touchdown catches by a tight end in program history. Penn State wound up losing to Indiana 36-35 on a controversial two-point conversion in overtime, but the result was of small consequence compared to what the Nittany Lions once stood to lose.

With coronavirus cases spiking across the country in early August, the Big Ten became the first major Division 1 conference to cancel its season. There had been rumors floating for weeks, but when the official announcement was made on Aug. 11, it hit the players and their families hard.

"The day they postponed it was a Tuesday and Pat called us, and he just came home. He was devastated," Dianne said. "He spent the next week or so home but then he went back to start classes. At that point we didn't think there would be a reversal, it seemed like a long shot, but that's when the parents group and coaches got more vocal."

Once the initial shock wore off, the players and their families wanted answers. Less than a week before the cancellation the Big Ten had announced its fall 2020 schedule and expressed confidence in the league's safety protocols. What changed?

As president of the Penn State Football Parents Association, Dianne published a letter advocating a return to play while expressing confidence that it would be safe to do so. She and more than 80 other Penn State parents signed a similar letter to the Big Ten conference presidents, and behind the scenes she started connecting with parents from other Big Ten schools to coordinate their efforts.

While those efforts unfolded, the Big Ten also got a significant boost by a breakthrough in rapid coronavirus testing, which would make it possible to test at a level necessary to successfully hold a season. That turned out to be a game changer.

"I think it was one of those things where, everyone was on the same page that we didn't think it was a bad decision to cancel, but that they did it so quickly. They had put protocols in place and most of us felt those would keep kids safer on campus than anywhere else," said Dianne, who is also a teacher at North Andover High and serves as an assistant field hockey coach at Pentucket. "Especially the rapid testing, as it became available, and we hoped that they would give it a shot. Then you had the breakthrough, they came through with the deal and the presidents felt more comfortable."

When the Big Ten announced it would be reversing course in mid-September, there was an understanding that everybody would have to do their part or the season could be thrown in jeopardy. The Big Ten in particular has no margin for error, having to get in a full eight-week conference schedule without any opportunities to reschedule games in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak.

"We fought for this season to happen so we kind of have to back up our words. ... We must be willing to sacrifice everything to play this season," Pat Freiermuth said during his media availability last Tuesday. "That's when your parents come to games maybe you're not going to be able to go out and go to dinner with them after the game, or see them at the hotel the night before or go out and see your friends outside of football. We're going to have to make these sacrifices to make this season happen and so far the team has done a great job."

For the Freiermuths, that sacrifice extended to being able to attend games in person at all. Due to Massachusetts' COVID-19 travel restrictions, the Freiermuth family won't be able to travel to Penn State or to any of their road games, something they knew would be the case even before the season was initially cancelled.

"They haven't missed a game at Penn State my whole time here, so I'm really appreciative of them knowing that and continuing to fight and not being selfish and continuing to fight for these other parents to come see their kids play," Pat said. "I'm just really happy that I can call them my mom and dad and I just really appreciate them."

Even with coronavirus cases rising across the country again, Dianne said she's still confident in the safety protocols the Big Ten schools have put in place, and she's hopeful that Penn State will be able to complete its season and put Saturday's disappointing opener in the rearview mirror. That being said, she recognizes that threat posed by the virus is real, and that as great as it is to have football back, the safety of the Penn State community is the most important thing.

"It's important and great that kids are getting opportunities to get out there and play, I think it gives them a sense of normalcy, but we also have to respect the virus," she said. "If there are times you have to shut it down, you have to do what's appropriate. Ultimately we have to think of everyone's safety and put that first."

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