As we learned the hard way with the Big Ten, releasing a schedule in these strange times does not guarantee those games will be played. But you can't play a season if you don't have a schedule.
After the Big 12 season received a stay of execution on Tuesday night, the conference unveiled its full schedule on Wednesday.
Much like the Big Ten's ultimately doomed slate, this schedule was built with flexibility in mind. All 10 Big 12 teams are off either Oct. 10 or 17, as well as Nov. 14 and 21. The regular season will now end a week later, Dec. 5, and the Big 12 Championship can be played as late as Dec. 19.
A point in the Big 12's favor not addressed in today's announcement: with the Big Ten and Pac-12 officially not playing this season, the Big 12 will have FOX's programming schedule all to itself this fall.
In conjunction with the schedule, the Big 12 released a more stringent testing protocol, including three tests per week and a battery of heart tests for each positive athlete before they are approved to play.
Big 12 members have committed to enhanced COVID-19 testing that includes three tests per week in “high contact” sports, like Football, Volleyball and Soccer. Additionally, return to play protocols after positive occurrences will include an EKG, troponin blood test, echocardiogram, and cardiac MRI. Non-conference football opponents must also adhere to COVID-19 testing protocols that conform to Big 12 standards during the week leading up to competition.
“The virus continues to evolve and medical professionals are learning more with each passing week,” said commissioner Bob Bowlsby. “Opinions vary regarding the best path forward, as we’ve seen throughout higher education and our society overall, but we are comfortable in our institutions’ ability to provide a structured training environment, rigorous testing and surveillance, hospital quality sanitation and mitigation practices that optimize the health and safety of our student-athletes. We believe all of this combines to create an ideal learning and training situation during this time of COVID-19. Ultimately, our student-athletes have indicated their desire to compete in the sports they love this season and it is up to all of us to deliver a safe, medically sound, and structured academic and athletic environment for accomplishing that outcome.”
The conference has agreed to keep one non-conference game for this season, but the game must be played at home. Those games will take place Sept. 12 or 19, and all opponents must abide by the Big 12's protocols during the week of the game.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.