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A day after reports and rumors, the Pac-12 has officially made the change to a conference-only schedule in 2020 and is delaying the start of mandatory athletic activities.
“The Pac-12 CEO Group announced today that the fall season for several Pac-12 sports, including football, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball, would schedule Conference-only games, and that it is delaying the start of mandatory athletic activities, until a series of health and safety indicators, which have recently trended in a negative direction, provided sufficient positive data to enable a move to a second phase of return-to-play activities,” the announcement reads.
The Pac-12’s schedule out-of-conference was highlighted by two matchups with SEC teams. Alabama was scheduled to open the season in Dallas against Southern Cal. Texas A&M was scheduled to host Colorado on Sept. 19.
“The health and safety of our student-athletes and all those connected to Pac-12 sports continues to be our number one priority,” said Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott. “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.”
“Competitive sports are an integral part of the educational experience for our student-athletes, and we will do everything that we can to support them in achieving their dreams while at the same time ensuring that their health and safety is at the forefront,” said Michael Schill, Pac-12 CEO Group Chair and President of the University of Oregon.
The Big Ten officially announced its move to a conference-only schedule on Thursday. Multiple reports suggested the ACC and Pac-12 would be making the same move. The ACC later announced it had not yet come to a final decision. ACC commissioner John Swofford issued a statement Friday saying the conference anticipates “a decision by our Board of Directors in late July.”
Saturday Down South reports and comments on the news around the Southeastern Conference as well as larger college football topics.
