Fewer than ten days after the Big Ten announced the decision to reverse course and pursue a 2020 college football season, the Pac-12 will reportedly be joining them. Jon Wilner of the Pac-12 Hotline newsletter first reported the news on Thursday evening that the conference voted to play this season.
Source: The #Pac12 voted to play.
— Jon Wilner (@wilnerhotline) September 24, 2020
Later, word came to light that the season will begin on the weekend of Nov. 6, with each of the 12 schools set to play seven games.
Pac-12 season will begin Nov. 6, a source confirms. Everyone will play 7 games. Title game Dec. 18.
— Kyle Bonagura (@BonaguraESPN) September 24, 2020
It does not appear, however, as if fans will be allowed to consume the games in person.
Sources: There will be no fans at Pac-12 games this year.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 24, 2020
If the seven-game conference season comes to fruition, the Pac-12 championship game will reportedly take place on Dec. 18. In mid-August, the Pac-12 announced the decision to postpone all sports until Jan. 1 at the earliest, focusing on the health-related fallout from COVID-19. In the days since, however, momentum has apparently been building for a return and the end result was reportedly a unanimous vote to play.
Few more details: Vote was unanimous. (Of course). The Dec. 19 weekend will feature crossover games for all those schools who aren’t in the championships game.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 24, 2020
In perhaps related news, Brett McMurphy reports that, with many conferences returning in abbreviated form, bowl season could be quite weird and the NCAA may waive any win requirement for inclusion.
There will be no win requirements to play in a bowl this season, if approved by NCAA’s Council next month. So we potentially could have a winless team go bowling!
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) September 24, 2020
The logistics will be incredibly interesting to monitor, as the Pac-12’s campaign is the shortest season announced by any major college football conference. Still, it appears as if the Pac-12 will be throwing its hat into the ring and, for its programs, this is an opportunity to take the field in relatively short order in comparison to the original timeline.
Like the Big Ten, the Pac-12 schedule does not include any bye weeks which, given there have already been 21 games canceled or postponed in college football this season, doesn’t offer the opportunity for rescheduling games should teams have internal outbreaks or be unable to field teams due to contact tracing.
UPDATE: The league confirmed the news shortly after, noting that fall and winter sports can begin practicing when they get clearance from their respective universities, including football, and basketball will be able to begin its season along with the rest of the NCAA on November 25.