PAC-12 IS BACK,
CEOS vote for Nov. 6-7 start; CU unable to practice after county order
Rick George doesn’t have any more experience in dealing with global pandemics than anyone else, but the Colorado athletic director has learned a valuable lesson over the past six-plus months.
“Don’t get too high and don’t get too low, because there’s challenges that come at you, I would say daily, but they are hourly at some points,” George said during a virtual press conference Thursday.
That lesson may not have been more valuable than on Thursday, as the Buffaloes got sobering news, following by a jolt of excitement.
Late in the afternoon, the Pac-12 made the much-anticipated announcement that the CEO group — school presidents and chancellors — voted unanimously to resume competition in football, as well as men’s and women’s basketball, reversing an Aug. 11 decision to postpone all athletic competition until at least Jan. 1 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Pac-12 joins its other Power 5 peers — ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC — in playing football this fall, although
the Pac-12 will get started later than the others. A seven-game regular season slate may begin the weekend of Nov. 6-7, with the conference title game slated for Dec. 18.
The conference will also allow men’s and women’s basketball teams to begin Nov. 25, which is in line with the start date recently set by the NCAA.
“We’re excited about today’s announcement,” George said. “All of our teams have been working hard for this opportunity since their initial return to campus this summer.”
That excitement was tempered, however, because the Buffaloes still don’t know when they’ll get on the field.
Football teams around the Pac12 have cleared hurdles with local public health authorities in the past week to get approval for practice and games.
On Thursday morning, however, Boulder County Public Health (BCPH) issued an order halting all gatherings for 18-to-22-year-old Boulder residents until at least Oct. 8 because of a spike in coronavirus cases since CU’S semester began Aug. 24. In addition, stay-at-home orders were issued for 36 addresses, many of which are fraternity and sorority houses. It’s unknown how many CU football players reside in those 36 locations.
CU’S football team, which had been practicing in helmets and shells on a limited basis the past few weeks, now has to shut down for two weeks.
“We will work with our public health officials to comply with the new public health order and be part of the community solution in controlling the spiking cases so we can resume team activities as soon as possible,” George said. “We put in great protocols to ensure their health and safety and we’re really excited about the conference’s announcement today that we will begin play this fall.”
One of the main reasons for the Pac-12 announcement to return to play was the securing of a deal early this month with Quidel Corporation to provide daily, rapid-results COVID-19 tests to Pac-12 schools. That development was viewed as a game-changer for the conference, but Buffzone asked BCPH executive director Jeff Zayach if those tests could allow CU student-athletes to be exempt from the county order.
“No,” Zayach succinctly said in an email.
As of Tuesday, BCPH said there had been 1,392 “confirmed or probable positive cases of COVID19” among CU students since the semester began Aug. 24. That number represents 78 percent of the county’s cases during that time frame.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment declared an outbreak at CU on Wednesday. Also on Wednesday, CU announced a shift to remote classes to try to stop the spread of the virus.
Zayach said he’s not sure at this time if it will be possible for CU to play football this fall.
“This will largely depend upon how well we as a community are able to stop the exponential growth of COVID-19 in our community,” Zayach said. “We are not yet able to say if this will be possible. We ask every member of our community, and especially 18 to 22 year olds, to do their part so that we can curb the spread and keep our businesses open and allow a safe reintroduction of events such as collegiate football.”
While CU suddenly has a big hurdle to clear, George said “when the ‘go’ button is pressed, we’re going to be ready to go.”
Head football coach Karl Dorrell couldn’t be more excited. Hired in February, Dorrell has had much of the offseason canceled, but Thursday provided light at the end of the tunnel.
“We’re excited to get back,” Dorrell said. “We were very hopeful that this might occur, even with the decision that was made earlier in August. I know as a team and as for the football program, we’re ready to go. We’re ready to get after it and we have a lot more focus and intention now that there will be a schedule in front of us.”
The Pac-12 has not announced the football schedule yet, but did announce that no fans will be allowed at any sports competition on conference campuses.
That decision will be revisited in January.
Dorrell didn’t need a schedule to get excited Thursday, though. After nine months of waiting, the date of his first game as CU head coach is finally on the horizon.
“We’re just excited that now that there’s something in place and we know that there’s something to shoot for, we’re ready to roll,” he said.
“Obviously we feel great about the (Pac-12) decision today.”