It started with reports this morning, and then official word came from the Big Ten, that football in the fall was on its way back with a kickoff date of mid-October. Teams will play an 8-game schedule with a +1 week that will serve as championship week while the #2 team from one division will face the #2 team in the other, #3 will face #3, and on down the line.
While that is great news, the question that all fans of college football are wondering right now is, how does the good news for the Big Ten impact the Pac-12? Will football be able to return to play this fall as well?
Earlier this month, the Pac-12 announced daily testing capabilities for all of their athletes and that is possible because of having a private testing lab to provide point-of-care tests. to having . Then, just a few days ago, a report shared that the league was looking at a possible mid-November restart.
Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott had the following to share on where things stand for his league.
"At this time, our universities in California and Oregon do not have approval from state or local public health officials to start contact practice. We are hopful that our new daily testing capability can help satisfy public health official approvals in California and Oregon to being contact practice and competition.
We are equally closely monitoring the devastating fires and air quality in our region at this time.
We are eager for our student athletes to have the opportunity to play this season, as soon as it can be done safely and in accordance with public health authority approvals."
Looks like we'll have to see if that changes in California and Oregon, which would allow the season to start...or maybe teams in those states can relocate for the season and play somewhere like Pheonix to ensure that we have all of the Power 5 leagues playing this fall.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.
Update>
So, this bodes well.