Pac-12 returns for 2020 season
Conference schools see presidents, chancellors OK football schedule
The Pac-12 ended a six-month shutdown Thursday as the presidents and chancellors approved a restart of competition, including an abbreviated football season that begins the weekend of Nov. 6-7.
Each team will play seven games. The conference championship is scheduled for Dec. 19 and will be played on campus of the division winner with the best record. The move to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for the title game has been delayed until next year.
The champion will be eligible for the College Football Playoff but is unlikely to be selected if compared to teams that have played more games. The Pac-12’s best hope to produce a semifinalist is disruption in other conferences that leave multiple champions with fewer than eight games played.
Fans will not be permitted. The schedule will be released in coming days.
In addition, the presidents and chancellors lifted the postponement of Pac-12 basketball, paving the way for teams to begin competition on or near Nov. 25, the start date established by the NCAA.
The news Thursday was largely expected after a frenzied few weeks that saw the conference secure daily antigen tests, state health officials in California and Oregon agree to loosen restrictions and the Big Ten — the Pac-12’s partner in postponement — announce its return.
Nonetheless, Pac-12 fans were anxious that the presidents, considered less passionate about football than their counterparts in other leagues, would balk on the chance to return to the stage.
The conference has faced more severe challenges than its peers because of the wildfires and the state and local health restrictions throughout the footprint.
The most significant obstacle, however, was cleared three weeks
ago when the Pac-12 announced a partnership with Quidel Corp. that will provide athletic departments with rapid-response antigen tests that, based on computer modeling, could reduce infectiousness by 100 percent.
The deal with Quidel — for 15,000 tests per week — was hailed as a gamechanger by commissioner Larry Scott, but it took two weeks for momentum to build.
“Our agreement with Quidel to provide daily rapid-results testing has been a game- changer in enabling us to move forward with confidence that we can create a safe environment for our studentathletes while giving them the opportunity to pursue their dreams,” Scott said.
“At the same time, we will continue to monitor health conditions and data and be ready to adjust as required in the name of the health of all.”
Then, in a remarkable 24 hours that began the afternoon of Sept. 15:
• USC players published a letter to California Gov. Gavin Newsom asking for the state to let them play
• The Big Ten made its return public (start date: Oct. 24)
• Newsom signaled he would lift the restrictions that had prevented the California schools from conducting normal practices
Two days later, the Pac12 presidents met but did not vote — a decision that generated frustration throughout the conference and prompted the six- day wait until Thursday’s news.