By JOHN ZENOR

AP Sports Writer

The Big Ten Conference announced Thurday it will not play nonconference games in football or several other sports this fall because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The league cited medical advice in reaching its decision, the biggest yet by a power conference, and added ominously that the plan would be applied only “if the conference is able to participate in fall sports.”

Besides football, the sports affected include men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball.

“By limiting competition to other Big Ten institutions, the conference will have the greatest flexibility to adjust its own operations throughout the season and make quick decisions in real-time based on the most current evolving medical advice and the fluid nature of the pandemic,” the Big Ten said in a statement.

Summer athletic activities will remain voluntary in sports such as football. The Big Ten said its member schools will honor scholarships of athletes who choose not to compete in the upcoming academic year because of concerns about the coronavirus.

“Throughout the last four months, Penn State has operated from the premise that the health and safety of our students, and all those in our care, as the top priority,” Penn State Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Sandy Barbour said in a statement. “These decisions made by the Big Ten, and fully supported by Penn State University, have all been made with the thought of maximizing control and flexibility in order to protect health and safety of our student-athletes, staffs, coaches and those involved in supporting our games.

“Many details remain to be determined in order to be able to operationalize and move forward with intercollegiate athletic competition beginning in mid to late August. We will begin immediately working with the Big Ten Conference and our fellow Big Ten institutions on the details that will allow us to provide the safest and most healthy environment for our student-athletes, coaches, staff and community.”

The announcement came a day after the Ivy League Conference canceled sporting events until at least January.

“We remain optimistic about our ability to play sports this fall and in the 2020-21 academic year,” Barbour continued. “We have no doubt it will look, feel and act differently than we have become accustomed to over time. But giving our student-athletes the opportunity to compete in the sport they love and have played their entire lives is important to them individually and us collectively, as well as to the psyche and viability of our community. Please have no doubt, it’s not more important than health and safety, but it cannot and will not be easily cast aside.

“There are significant additional details that need to be worked out for all our sports that compete in the fall. Those sports will be handled in a sport-specific manner with the principle of health and safety maintained as the top priority.”

The Big Ten said it would release detailed schedules at a later date and continue to evaluate other sports.

“As we continue to focus on how to play this season in a safe and responsible way, based on the best advice of medical experts, we are also prepared not to play in order to ensure the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes should the circumstances so dictate,” the league said.