Pete Thamel: There's 'Stunning Momentum' With 2 More Conferences
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 18: Nate Meadors #22 of the UCLA Bruins breaks up a pass to Steven Mitchell Jr. #4 of the USC Trojans during the second quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 18, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
On Wednesday, the Big Ten announced a return to play in late October, after initially postponing the season to spring back on Aug. 11. That leaves Pac-12 football as the lone Power Five league that is inactive at the moment.
For a while, participation in college football this fall was roughly 50/50 between the leagues and teams that were set to play, and those who kicked the can down the road. Outside of the Power Five, the MAC and Mountain West both opted to push their seasons, as did a few independent schools like UConn and UMass, and Old Dominion in Conference USA. With the Big Ten's decision, it is not a huge surprise that other leagues are reconsidering.
The Pac-12 was actually a bit ahead of the Big Ten earlier this month. Commissioner Larry Scott announced that the league had secured the ability to rapidly test athletes earlier this month, and hinted at a potential return to play before the spring semester. Rapid testing protocols are key to the Big Ten's restart. Of course, Pac-12 football has some unique challenges.
Wildfires are currently raging out West, and the air quality in major parts of California, Oregon, and Washington are significantly impacted. There are also local ordinances that may prevent teams from returning to practice and play. According to Yahoo's Pete Thamel, there is a lot of "momentum" for the Pac-12 and Mountain West to return to play now, though. That would leave the MAC as the only FBS league that is not set to play this fall.
No one wants to be the only league left out. It was not surprising that the Pac-12 announced that it would postpone the season just hours after the Big Ten did. Scott said that his hope was to align with the Big Ten in figuring out a return to play. Clearly the Big Ten was acting on its own yesterday, but now it appears that there is some hope for all five power conferences to play, and perhaps a classic Big Ten vs. Pac-12 Rose Bowl to be played this winter. [
Stunning how much momentum toward playing in the Pac-12 and MWC has built in last 24 hours. The Pac-12s hurdles remain local rules in Santa Clara County and Berkeley, but key hurdles in LA were cleared yesterday. MWC officials are "cautiously optimistic" as they move forward.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 17, 2020
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