The Pac-12's CEO group met Friday for a regularly-scheduled meeting that naturally focused heavily on the next steps for the league when it comes to a return to play after the Big Ten's decision this week to move forward with a return to the field set for October.
Commissioner Larry Scott said Friday morning on the Dan Patrick Show that he did not intend to push for a vote on a return to play nor did he expect the group, made up of presidents and chancellors from the Pac-12 schools, to take a vote during the meeting in regards to making any changes to the original decision to postpone fall sports that was made last month.
Instead, the group will continue to wait and will reconvene Thursday to make a decision about a return to play ahead of the current Jan. 1, 2021 date that was set last month.
"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. 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.”
The Pac-12 is the lone Power Five conference that is not currently playing or set to play this fall. The league joined the Big Ten in deciding to postpone the season in August, but with that conference's decision this week to return to play in October it has urged the Pac-12 to take a stronger look at its own decision.
Scott had a conversation with California Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this week to clear up some confusion about the guidelines in that state have prevented the four Pac-12 schools there from training and practicing up to this point. That conversation prompted health officials in Los Angeles County to give clearance for UCLA and USC to begin practicing as soon as the league decides it is OK.
Oregon and Oregon State, two other schools in the league that have not been able to properly prepare because of restrictions, received similar clearance from their state government to move ahead with practice.
“This has been a rapidly developing series of events,” he said. “Yesterday was pretty crazy from a call I got from Governor (Gavin) Newsom in the morning to meetings folks from Oregon and Oregon State had with their governor that day. So, we need to get folks that lead all our campuses to digest all this, take into account everything going on on their campuses.”
Improved testing, along with the new clarification on practice restrictions, has spurred the Pac-12 to revisit its decision to postpone the season. Scott said Pac-12 schools will be receiving testing machines from Quidel Corporation Monday that will allow for each program to conduct daily COVID-19 antigen testing with rapid results.
Doing so should give teams in the league an opportunity avoid any large outbreaks and play safely this fall. Waiting until Thursday should give the Pac-12 schools an opportunity to get the testing machines in use.
Halloween has been speculated as a potential start date for the Pac-12 season, but Scott said Friday that could be a week or two too soon for the league if it ultimately decides to play this fall.
Scott reiterated Friday that teams will need six weeks to prepare for the season should the Pac-12 decide on a fall start.
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