Pac-12 could follow Big Ten in decision to play football

Wednesday's muchanticipated decision by the Big Ten to reverse course and start its football season on Oct. 24 left the Pac- 12 as the only Power 5 conference with no current plan to return to the field this calendar year.

The Big Ten's decision put pressure on the Pac-12 to join the other major conferences, and developments later on Wednesday seemed to indicate that playing football in 2020 might still be a possibility.

At issue is the status in California and Oregon, home to half of the Pac-12 and states where there have been public health restrictions keeping sports teams from returning to the practice field.

That seemed to shift Wednesday afternoon when California Gov. Gavin Newsom said there is nothing to prevent the Pac-12 teams in his state from returning to athletic activities.

“They can resume football,” Newsom said. “There is nothing in guidelines that says Pac-12 cannot move forward. Period, full stop. I just want to make that crystal clear.”

NORTH CAROLINA: This weekend's game between the No. 12 Tar Heels and Charlotte was canceled after the 49ers announced contact tracing had depleted their offensive line with several players placed into quarantine amid the coronavirus pandemic. WISCONSIN: Forty-two players and staff with the Badgers football team have tested positive for COVID19 as the Big Ten makes plans to get the season started. Public Health Madison & Dane County says the 42 people tested positive since June when athletes and staff returned to campus. Twenty-nine of the positive tests were from Sept. 1 through Sept. 15. ETC.: The NCAA Division I Council has proposed a framework to conduct a season in the Football Championship Subdivision, with teams allowed to play up to 11 games from this fall into next spring and a playoff bracket reduced from 24 to 16 teams.