EUGENE — The Pac-12′s presidents and chancellors met Friday as scheduled but did not hold a vote on resuming fall sports, choosing to make that decision when they reconvene Thursday.
“The Pac-12 CEO Group had an informative and productive meeting earlier today. We plan to reconvene this coming Thursday, September 24 to make a decision regarding possible return to play prior to January 1," a statement from the presidents and chancellors read. "The health and safety of our student-athletes and all those connected to Pac-12 sports will continue to be our number one priority in all of our decision making.”
A vote was not expected, as Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said earlier Friday during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, when he noted the conference has “overcome the major obstacles” that led its Aug. 11 decision to postpone sports until 2021. Scott also said the conference still needs six weeks of preseason football practices before beginning a season, with Oct. 31 the “most ambitious (but) maybe a week or two too quick."
With the Pac-12 presidents and chancellors not reconvening until Thursday, Oct. 31 goes from ambitious to off the table, based on the six-week ramp up needed, and Nov. 7 becomes the earliest date for the conference to begin its football season. That would allow for, at most, a six-game regular season before a Pac-12 Championship Game played Dec. 18-19, fewest among the Power 5 leagues.
The ACC is playing 10 conference games and one nonconference games, the SEC has 10 conference games, the Big 12 has nine conference games and one nonconference game and the Big Ten, which reversed its Aug. 11 decision to postpone its season on Wednesday and will start play Oct. 23-24, will play eight regular season games and all 14 of its teams will play on conference championship weekend even if not in the Big Ten Championship Game.
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The potential return of Pac-12 sports will affect more than football though, as the other fall sports — men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, cross country, field hockey and men’s water polo — could all resume practice and games as well, even after the NCAA pushed the championships in those sports back to the spring. The Pac-12′s winter sports, specifically men’s and women’s basketball, could also be given the formal approval to play before Jan. 1 if the conference’s presidents and chancellors agree to reverse their decision.
On Wednesday, the NCAA Division I Council approved Nov. 25 start date for the men’s and women’s basketball seasons. Practices can begin Oct. 14 but teams won’t be allowed to play any exhibitions or scrimmages. The Division I Council recommended a minimum of four nonconference games, with a minimum of 13 games overall and maximum of 27, four less than last season due to the season’s start date being delayed two weeks.
When the Pac-12 elected to postpone sports last month it cited the prevalence of COVID-19 in its communities, lack of availability of rapid point-of-care and concerns about myocarditis as the primary factors for its decision, as well as government restrictions preventing contact sports practices from beginning at the time.
Much has changed for the conference over the last 15 days, particularly this week. The Pac-12 agreed to a deal with Quidel Corporation on Sept. 3 that will see each of the conference’s athletic departments equipped with rapid antigen testing machines, which can deliver results in 15 minutes for daily tests.
Scott told Patrick the conference’s schools will receive Quidel’s test kits and Sofia 2 reading machines as early as Monday. It’s expected to take several days for each athletic department to train staff to use the machines, which Scott has repeatedly referred to as the “game-changer” that could allow the Pac-12 to resume sports this fall.
Govs. Gavin Newsom and Kate Brown of California and Oregon and their respective state health authorities agreed Wednesday to lift restrictions on contact sports practices and games, pending approval of written protocols from the Pac-12. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health gave UCLA and USC the go-ahead to resume sports Wednesday night. Benton County approved Oregon State to do so Thursday and Lane County approved Oregon’s plans as well.