• Loading stock data...
Thursday, July 10, 2025

Pac-12 Reverses Decision, Will Join Rest of Power 5 With Fall Football

  • The Pac-12 will play a seven-game season beginning on Nov. 6-7, the conference announced Sept. 24.
  • Men’s and women’s basketball will also resume practice and be allowed to begin their season on Nov. 25.
pac-12-reverses-decision-will-join-rest-of-power-5-with-fall-football
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

All of the Power 5 conferences plan to take the football field by mid-November, a feat that seemed almost impossible less than a month ago.

The Pac-12 CEO Group unanimously voted to reinstate the fall football season, opting for a seven-game conference-only season with opening weekend slated for Nov. 6-7, the conference announced on Sept. 24.

The decision comes a little over a week after the Big Ten announced they, too, would reverse their decision to not play football this fall.

The conference had previously halted all sports competition until Jan. 1.
The decision will also allow the men’s and women’s basketball teams to return to practice on the NCAA’s schedule, joining other conferences in beginning their season on Nov. 25.

“We’re moving forward now. But we’re not moving forward with our eyes shut.” said Oregon President Michael Schill during a press conference following the decision. If COVID-19 cases spike, teams will stop playing, Schill said.

The season will help the financially-ailing Pac-12 and its schools recoup some of the revenue losses that have already roiled its operations.

Following the conferences’ postponement of football, the University of Utah laid off some staff members and planned furloughs for the rest. Athletic director Mark Harlan told reporters he projected $50-60 million in potential 2020 losses without football. The Pac-12 conference itself also laid off staffers.

While ticket revenue is a wash, as no fans can attend any on-campus game at least until January, media rights revenue could help the conference and its schools — the Pac-12 is nearing the end of its $3 billion, 12-year deal with ESPN and Fox.

The ability for Pac-12 schools to play in bowl games could also help, as the conference earned more than $114 million in 2018-19 in bowl game distribution revenue. Playing this fall will also give Pac-12 teams a chance at the lucrative College Football Playoff.

Still, Schill said that despite what “media” or “social media” have said, the decision had “nothing” to do with money, and that profits didn’t come up during discussions. Schill claims that the money paid as a result of the return to sports will be “tiny” compared to what programs have lost. “It had no effect on our decision,” he said.

Pac-12 football teams will play seven games in seven weeks, with champions games played on Dec. 18. Like the Big Ten model, each divisions’ seed will play its counterpart during championship weekend. Giving all teams extra games would allow them to be in better standing for bowl games and opportunities for the College Football Playoff, Arizona State University athletic director Ray Anderson said.

Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said conference and school officials consulted with athletes extensively on the decision. Pac-12 athletes had previously publicly criticized the conference for its lack of transparency surrounding conferences’ original postponement.

The men’s and women’s basketball schedules haven’t been finalized, though Scott said coaches were working to develop schedules, and that they would consider nontraditional options like playing conference games in December. Scott reiterated, however, that they would only play non-conference games in which other teams would uphold their same testing standards.

The testing protocol for athletes will include not only daily rapid antigen testing, but also one PCR test a week, and PCR testing confirmation for all athletes who test positive. PCR tests are considered slower, but more efficient than the rapid tests. The schools will also implement cardiac screening.

In a detailed letter released by the conference on Aug. 11, when the Pac-12 initially decided to postpone, the conference said their main concerns with playing included lack of testing capacity, concern over the unknowns surrounding long-term cardiac complications of COVID-19, and high case counts in communities where Pac-12 schools were located.

The conference mitigated the first concern in early September, when it announced a partnership with Quidel Corporation that would make daily rapid antigen tests available to all Pac-12 schools by October. At the time, Scott called the testing deal “a game-changer.”

The CEO group reversed its decision because schools were able to address the three specific concerns listed on that original document, the announcement said. Sports can return because of the partnership with Quidel, “updated state and local health official guidance” and “the prevalence” of long-term cardiac impacts of COVID-19.

The CEO group considered a winter football season, but ultimately unanimously agreed on a fall season, the announcement said. “We had a really thorough discussion of both sets of start dates,” Schill said. Ultimately, the CEO group decided that the positives of playing in the fall outweighed those of waiting until the winter.

After the Big Ten’s reversal, Scott said that his conference still faced local and state laws that would prohibit a return to competition. Despite a rebuke of this statement from California Gov. Gavin Newsom, some local laws did limit a number of necessary operations needed to conduct football practice and competition, like the number of athletes who could practice together, according to a Mercury News report.

Since then, Pac-12 schools like USC and UCLA, and the conference and local officials, worked together to lift bans that made football practice impossible, according to the Mercury News.

The University of Colorado, Boulder also faces a locally-mandated shutdown of all large in-person student gatherings.

Scott said that each school will have to work with their local officials to determine when they may be “cleared” to begin practicing.

The rest of Pac-12 fall sports will still be conducted in Spring 2021. Schedules for winter sports besides basketball are still in flux.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Fox Reports Big Sports Profits, Eyes New Streaming Service

Football and baseball helped power surges in company revenue and net income.
Florida State Seminoles head coach Leonard Hamilton watches his team from the sideline. The Florida State Seminoles hosted the Virginia Tech Hokies for a menÕs basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025.

FSU’s Leonard Hamilton to Step Down As NIL Lawsuit Unfolds

Six former FSU men’s basketball players sued Hamilton in December.

‘Ultimate Throwback’: The Unimpeachable Cool of Hartford Whalers Gear

Nostalgia and street cred have driven a consistent frenzy for merch.
January 20, 2024; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Kristin Juszczyk, wife of San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk (44), before a 2024 NFC divisional round game against the Green Bay Packers at Levi's Stadium.

The New WAGs: Sports Wives Building Business Empires

Athletes’ wives and girlfriends are bucking stereotypes and cashing in.

Featured Today

Feb 3, 2019; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears mascot dances on the court during a stoppage in play in the second half against the Stanford Cardinal at Haas Pavilion.

The Toll of Bicoastal Travel on New ACC Members Cal and Stanford

Cal and Stanford face missed flights, chaotic sleep schedules, and academic demands.
January 28, 2025

It’s Starting to Pay to Be Good at Cornhole

American Cornhole League players made $7.7 million in 2024.
PWHL arena
January 25, 2025

PWHL’s Sophomore Year Booms in Canada, Has Room to Grow in U.S.

Attendance is up 30% from last year, the league says.
January 24, 2025

Once Abandoned, Portland Is Regaining Its Place in the WNBA

The next WNBA team is springing up in a once-deserted market.
Oct 26, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean (3) celebrates following a tackle during the second quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Camp Randall Stadium.

Another Lawsuit Seeks to Challenge the NCAA’s Eligibility Clock

Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia recently sued the NCAA over similar eligibility standards.
Nov 23, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Colorado linebacker LaVonta Bentley (20) during gets set at his position during the 1st quarter between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Colorado Buffaloes at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
January 30, 2025

House v. NCAA Objections Highlight Three Major Concerns

It’s not all smooth sailing into college sports’ revenue-sharing era.
Western Oregon women's basketball players allege abuse.
January 30, 2025

Western Oregon Women’s Basketball Players File $28 Million Lawsuit Claiming Coach Abuse

Players say school officials ignored their complaints of physical abuse and bullying.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
January 29, 2025

Shedeur Sanders Sits Out Shrine Bowl Practices, Sparking Speculation

The top NFL Draft prospect is at the Shrine Bowl, but not playing.
The United States Capitol during the certification of votes by Congress making Donald Trump president on Jan. 6, 2025.
January 29, 2025

Why College Football Coaches Are Investing in Federal Lobbying

One issue coaches have been vocal about: the transfer portal.
January 29, 2025

Winning Comes at a Price: Texas and Ohio State Report Record Expenses

The Longhorns reported $325 million in operating expenses last fiscal year.
Brown falls to Dartmouth 84-83 at Pizzitola Sports Center. Alexander Lesburt Jr drives to the net with Ryan Cornish defending for Dartmouth.
January 28, 2025

What Trump’s Moves Mean for Future of College Sports Labor

Athletes probably won’t win employee status through the NLRB.