Following suit with the Big Ten, the Pac-12 has announced that its fall sports will follow a conference only schedule. The announcement comes just two days after a similar one was made by the Big Ten, and puts a further strain on where college athletics might go this fall, and perhaps beyond amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“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.
Pac-12 CEO Group announces decision to schedule conference-only play for several Fall sports & to delay move toward mandatory athletics activities.
Full announcement ➡️ https://t.co/A6PNFSeZ5d
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) July 10, 2020
This now makes two of the Power Five conferences that have elected to modify scheduling to include conference other schedules. The clock is now ticking to see how the Big 12, SEC, and ACC respond.
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