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ESPN Senior Writer
Heather Dinich
College football reporter
Joined ESPN.com in 2007
Graduate of Indiana University
Adam Rittenberg
Signed up with ESPN.com in 2008.
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ESPN Senior Writer
Graduate of Northwestern University.
The Pac-12 authorized a 10-game, conference-only fall schedule for football to start on Sept. 26, with “a lot of integrated in versatility,” the conference announced Friday.
Each group will play 5 home and five roadway video games, and the Pac-12 championship will now be played Dec. 18 or 19. The conference title video game will be held in a home-hosted model for 2020, with the Pac-12 and partners Allegiant Stadium and the Raiders, Las Vegas Convention & & Visitors Authority (LVCVA) and MGM Resorts International accepting start hosting the national championship at Allegiant Stadium in 2021 for its two-year run in Las Vegas.
Games that cant be played on their set up date can be comprised in their bye weeks or in Week 12 (Dec. 12).
The Pac-12 and Big Ten both announced on July 10 that they would play a conference-only schedule, but Friday was the very first time the Pac-12 revealed the specifics of it.
While the Big Ten and Big 12 have yet to reveal their strategies, Friday marked the third straight day today that a Power 5 conference made extreme changes to their fall football schedules– all with the caution that it might not take place at all as the coronavirus pandemic continues to effect college athletics. The ACC on Wednesday revealed an 11-game design that includes Notre Dame, and the SEC followed on Thursday with its relocate to a conference-only schedule.
Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott yielded it “may not be possible” to play even a 10-game schedule by Dec. 19– or that the spring might be needed to complete it.
… We recognize that the best-laid strategies may not come to fruition, whether being able to begin on the 26th, play an enhance of a minimum number of games we feel would be needed for a College Football Playoff, and we may start but not be able to finish, and then we will have to change. Well have to change with a spring piece, either to finish or to start, possibly hold-up dates for a playoff if its still possible.
When asked Friday what his self-confidence level in this season is, Scott responded to, “I do not know.” As Major League Baseball continues to have problem with schedule-halting outbreaks, Scott stated he was anticipating the same this fall in college football.
” There is a bubble and no bubble would not be appropriate for college sports, and for our campuses,” Scott informed press reporters on a media webinar Friday afternoon. “These are trainees, and theyre not going to be able to be quarantined or separated in a bubble, the very same way professional sports do. … Its one of the reasons that building in flexibility to the schedule is so important. If there is a break out on the group, were entering expecting thats a real possibility. And if that takes place, particularly with 14-day quarantine durations currently for anybody thats a close contact, that will require the rescheduling of a video game.
College football reporter.
Pac-12 approves 2020 football schedule and strategies for fall sports.
Complete information ➡ https://t.co/GSrX1TOFS2#Pac12FB|#BackThePac pic.twitter.com/9sUq38VwY6— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) July 31, 2020
1 Related” And so weve got 2 chances for each group to potentially reschedule, or postpone the start. If a team cant begin on time, weve got the bye week to reschedule … either into the bye week or this Dec. 10 week that we have.”
With its delayed start, and the coronavirus still surging in its geographic footprint, the Pac-12 will enter the “improved summertime gain access to” period as early as Aug. 3, followed by the start of its official training camp as early as Aug. 17. (The official NCAA-approved practice schedule this year started the 20-hour enhanced period on July 24, and summer season camp can officially start on Aug. 7 for any teams still opening on Labor Day weekend).
USC and UCLA stated in a joint statement the schools were pleased with the Pac-12s strategy.
” We comprehend the great interest in the 90th edition of our historic football rivalry video game, presently set up for Sept. 26 at the Rose Bowl,” the joint statement said. “Though we are advancing toward the start of our particular seasons, at this time we do not have the necessary county and state clearances to start competitors. Establishing a scheduling model for the fall sports season that offers optimal versatility was a crucial next action in the procedure.
” In specific, our football schedules produce the opportunity for us to move our season-opening contest to open dates later on in the season (Oct. 31 and Dec. 12), if necessary. UCLA and USC remain in outright alignment, and we remain in regular interaction with state, local, and university officials. We will continue to follow their guidance with the utmost regard for the health and wellness of our student-athletes.”
Dr. Doug Aukerman, Oregon States senior associate athletic director, said it was tough to determine a number of favorable cases that would trigger a video game being canceled.
” You cant simply state, Its a certain number of players,” he said. Is it a couple cases early in the week and theyre both associated and you can contact-trace back to where they were, thats a much more secure environment and circumstance.
Not all Pac-12 schools have been cleared to begin even the boosted access period, which is mainly strength and conditioning, movie review and walk-throughs.
If a group cant start on time, weve got the bye week to reschedule … either into the bye week or this Dec. 10 week that we have.”
Is it a couple cases early in the week and theyre both related and you can contact-trace back to where they were, thats a much safer environment and circumstance. There are things that we can do now that we could not do 2 weeks ago, and ideally a couple weeks from now there will be things we can do that we cant do now.”
“By putting them the first week, in the event that these teams in each of those 2 markets winds up not being possible, they end up being very simple to reschedule. Each of those could reschedule into the bye week on the calendar a few weeks later, or the December week that we left.
” Weve been talking about this for 5 months, so we will have a plan based on what were enabled to do, based upon our local medical and federal government authorities,” Stanford coach David Shaw stated. “Well find a method to make it work. There are things that we can do now that we couldnt do two weeks back, and ideally a couple weeks from now there will be things we can do that we cant do now.”
The brand-new schedule features competitors Arizona at Arizona State and USC at UCLA in the first week instead of the conventional end to the regular season.
“By putting them the very first week, in the event that these groups in each of those 2 markets winds up not being possible, they become very simple to reschedule. Each of those might reschedule into the bye week on the calendar a few weeks later, or the December week that we left.
