Pac-12 Conference won't play non-conference football games in fall
Decision follows Big Ten's decision earlier this week
The Pac-12 Conference has canceled its non-conference slate of games this fall.
In a press release distributed Friday, the Pac-12 member-universities’ chancellors and presidents, collectively called the Pac-12 CEO Group, announced football, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball would schedule conference-only games.
The conference is also delaying the start of mandatory athletic activities in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“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,” Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said in a prepared statement.
The conference added any student-athletes who do not feel comfortable returning to campus because of safety concerns would have their scholarships honored by their university, and they would remain in good standing with their respective teams.
Earlier this week, the Big Ten Conference announced it plans to play a conference-only schedule if fall sports, such as football, are played. The Pac-12 Conference is the second “Power Five” conference to move to a conference-only schedule for fall sports.
As a result of the decision, the Golden Bears football team will no longer play the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels on Aug. 29, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the first football game in the new home of the NFL’s Raiders.
California also loses the Cheez-It Bowl rematch against the TCU Horned Frogs in Berkeley, Calif., on Sept. 5, and another home game against the Cal Poly Mustangs, which recently poached former California running-backs coach Nicholas Edwards as their offensive coordinator, on Sept. 12.
The Pac-12 Conference did not share any further details about a conference-only schedule, adding further information will be announced no later than July 31.
Cal Athletics plans to schedule appointments with season ticket-holders to discuss their 2020 football season tickets.
The writing was on the wall for this when Pac 12 mentioned this possibility months ago.
I still doubt they play this season but I suppose this kicks the can down the road a little further.
I do wonder what happens with Notre Dame. Notre Dame has now lost 3 potential games (2 Pac 12 and 1 Big 10 opponents) but I suppose they could try to fill in with more games against the ACC. I hope this makes ND finally join a conference.
I do feel bad for the lower tiered schools and conferences that need the revenue from these games.
Let's play 11 games, blow up the divisions and have a real league champion!