NO SHOWDOWN

Buffs, Rams idle this weekend

A quickie Rocky Mountain Showdown isn’t happening. Not this week, anyway.

Officials at CU and CSU confirmed early Thursday afternoon that both the Buffs and Rams don’t plan to play anyone this weekend — let alone each other.

This was despite a vote by Pac- 12 CEOs late Thursday morning to approve of nonconference matchups for member schools, such as the Buffs, if certain conditions are met.

“We are waiting out the day to make sure the other five Pac- 12 games that are scheduled will go forth with no COVID issues, and that we would not be matched in a conference game,” CU athletic director Rick George said in a statement released by the athletic department. “That being said, even though the conference has approved non- conference opponents if one can be found that satisfies the testing protocols the Pac- 12 has in place for its members, we will not play a non- conference opponent this weekend.

“However, in the future, if a similar instance arises, it would give us more time to prepare. But for now, we want to concentrate on game preparations for the USC game next Saturday in Los Angeles.”

CU ( 2- 0) had been slated to host Arizona State on Saturday at Folsom Field, but a spate of COVID- 19 positives within the Sun Devils’ program forced the cancellation of the contest.

CSU ( 1- 2) was to host UNLV in Fort Collins, but the Mountain West announced Wednesday that the game had been canceled because of the Rebels’ coronavirus cases.

A CSU athletics spokesperson said the Rams are planning on taking the weekend off and preparing for a Thanksgiving visit to Air Force ( 1- 2).

“Our focus now is playing at Air Force, a big rivalry game for both programs, on a short week,” the Rams’ statement read. “We will not have a game scheduled this weekend after the league’s announcement yesterday regarding our scheduled game vs. UNLV.”

Did the Pac- 12 vote Thursday to allow non- conference games change CSU’s focus?

“No change. On to Air Force.”

CU’s next contest will be against USC ( 2- 0) at the Coliseum on Nov. 28.

Pac- 12 programs such as the Buffs may play a non- conference game during the 2020 regular season if:

• testing for both teams is consistent with Pac- 12 standards;

• the Pac- 12 school hosts the game and the Pac- 12’ s broadcast partners have the television rights to it;

• another Pac- 12 opponent doesn’t also become free to play in a make- up league game by “end of the day Thursday” of that game week.