Showdown canceled; Pac-12 to play only conference games
There will be no Rocky Mountain Showdown this fall.
A day after the Big Ten announced it would play a conference-only schedule for several fall sports in 2020, the Pac-12 Conference said it would do the same, ending whatever hope remained of salvaging the Rocky Mountain Showdown.
The game would have marked the first time Colorado State hosted Colorado for football in Fort Collins since 1996. The Buffs also lose a home game against Fresno State on Sept. 12 and a trip to Texas A&M on Sept. 19.
The Pac 12’s decision, which comes as coronavirus numbers surge in multiple states within the Pac-12 footprint, affects scheduling for football, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball, the conference announced.
“We’re pleased about the Pac-12 Conference’s decision today,” CU-Boulder Chancellor Phil DiStefano said in a news release. “The other presidents and chancellors and myself feel this approach maximizes our ability to adapt to the evolving pandemic as we plan for fall sports. It also gives us time to develop the consistent testing and mitigation protocols across the conference that will protect the health and safety of all of our student-athletes, coaches, fans and campus communities.”
The Pac-12’s move also eliminated Colorado State’s scheduled trip to Corvallis, Ore., for a Sept. 12 football game against Oregon State, in addition to volleyball matches against Southern Cal, Oregon State and Colorado.
“We are disappointed in this decision by the Pac-12 Conference, which eliminates a number of competitions for our student-athletes,” CSU athletic director Joe Parker said in a statement. “It impacts several Colorado State teams that were looking forward to competing with Pac-12 opponents, particularly in key rivalry games.
“As we move toward fall competition, our top priority remains
the health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans.”
As part of Friday afternoon’s announcement, the Pac-12 said it would delay the start of mandatory practices until local health indicators improve “to enable a move to a second phase of return-to-play activities.”
Schools within the conference had already started voluntary activities in June and early July.
In its statement, the conference said it still hopes its schools are able to play football and other fall sports this year, but will only do so after it can meet the “safety needs of its student-athletes and obtain appropriate permissions from state and local health authorities.”
“The health and safety of our student-athletes and all those connected to Pac-12 sports continues to be our number one priority,” Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said in the release. “Our decisions have and will be guided by science and data, and based upon the trends and indicators over the past days, it has become clear that we need to provide ourselves with maximum flexibility to schedule, and to delay any movement to the next phase of return-to-play activities.”
There was no indication of how many games will be included in conference-only schedules this fall, or what those schedules might look like.
The conference said it is currently developing models that include delaying the start of the season. A decision will be made by July 31.
Student-athletes who choose not to play during the 2020-21 academic year due to
COVID-19 concerns will have their scholarships honored, according to the conference.
Asked about the potential of losing those nonconference games against CSU, Fresno State and Texas A&M on Thursday, junior CU defensive end Terrance Lang expressed disappointment on Thursday.
“I really was looking forward to that Texas A&M game, a big SEC game,” he said. “Right now, I just want to play football, so I’m not complaining.”
The Mountain West Conference has yet to determine how it will handle its nonconference schedule in 2020, spokesman Javan Hedlund told The Denver Post. The Rams currently do not have an open nonconference football slot until 2025.
“As has been the case since the onset of the pandemic, we are fully engaged with our membership and advisors on a nearly daily basis exploring the myriad of potential scenarios around returning to competition,” MWC commissioner Craig Thompson said in statement released Friday night. “We were aware of this possibility and will continue to evaluate the appropriate decisions and the proper timing going forward. The safety, health, and wellness of our student-athletes, coaches, staff members and campuses remain our top priority.”
Commissioner tests positive. The Pac-12 announced Friday night that commissioner Larry Scott was tested for COVID-19 after experiencing mild flu-like symptoms. The test was positive and Scott is self-quarantining at the direction of his physician. He is continuing to work remotely.
Post reporter Andy Yamashita contributed to this story.