CHICAGO — Football season is officially upon us.

Although games won’t be played for more than a month, the Big Ten media days offer insights that were simply not available in the past weeks.

With all 14 teams represented in Chicago, fans and media will get their first official taste of the 2019 season.

1:33 p.m.: Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is making his first appearance. Last year, Urban Meyer had to have had a great time with all the Zach Smith questions he received.

1:18 p.m.: Maryland head coach Michael Locksley is making his first Big Ten media days appearance. He has a plaque that says “Home is where the football is,” and now he’s coaching for the team he grew up rooting for.

1:03 p.m.: Minnesota’s Casey O’Brien will give the student speech at the Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon on July 19. Coach P.J. Fleck said it will be an emotional one: “He will knock your socks off with that.”

1:02 p.m.: Update: Minnesota head coach Fleck still talks incredibly fast.

12:47 p.m.: As any true football guy will do, Indiana head coach Tom Allen said he is building the program around grit.

12:35 p.m.: Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio took the podium and spoke on the impact of defensive end Kenny Willekes, who began his college career on the practice squad and has risen to elite ranks in the Big Ten: “His intensity is contagious…It’s really about chasing dreams. He’s done that and continues to do that on a high level.”

12:22 p.m.: Nebraska Scott Frost on quarterback Adrian Martinez, who was named a Big Ten Preseason honoree Thursday: “I wouldn’t trade our guy for anyone in the country at that position. We’re probably going to go as far as he can take us this year.”

12:20 p.m.:Frost said his team is better this season and that Year 2 is better than Year 1. “We’re better than we were a year ago, and the rest of it, we’re going to have to earn.”

12:08 p.m.:  Illinois head coach Lovie Smith started his opening statement with a bang: “There will be a team that comes out of nowhere and has an outstanding year. We plan on that being us.”

12:01 p.m.: Big Ten Network President Francois McGillicuddy announced that the Fox Sports app will stream BTN content, and the previous streaming service, BTN2Go, will cease to exist in its current form.

11:57 a.m.: McGillicuddy said BTN is very excited to broadcast the Iowa-Nebraska showdown on Nov. 29 for the first time. BTN has expanded on-sight coverage planned.

11:49 a.m.: Big Ten Network President Francois McGillicuddy has taken the podium. He has to have the coolest name at the event, and there’s a reason: “French mom and Irish dad from Brooklyn will do it to you every time.”

11:15 a.m.: Jim Delany — in his 31st and last year as Big Ten commissioner — praised future Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren in his opening statement: “Kevin Warren is a smart, experienced executive … Your sixth commissioner of the Big Ten is going to be a great leader for this conference.”

10:14 a.m.: <i>The Daily Iowan</i> has arrived and conquered the beast of Chicago traffic. Now, we wait for Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany to open the event.

We have defied all odds against Chicago traffic to make it to Big Ten media days pic.twitter.com/9BgVljxqDA

— Pete Ruden (@PeteyRuden) July 18, 2019