Pac-12 says schools will decide when college sports return after coronavirus crisis
Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said on Tuesday that the city’s stay-at-home order will likely be extended through July, according to the Los Angeles Times.
On Wednesday, the Pac-12 released a statement (as reported by CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein via Twitter) on what that means for its athletic programs within the state, which includes Stanford and California in the Bay Area, and USC, and UCLA in Los Angeles.
“The Pac-12 and our member universities will make our own determinations on when our student-athletes can return to play and when and how campuses will reopen to students. These decisions will be based first and foremost on the health and well-being of all those connected to the Pac-12, and informed by the advice of public health and medical experts along with state and local governmental orders. Every day we are learning new and important information that will inform our decisions, and we believe that there is a great benefit to having as much relevant data as possible before making such decisions.”
In layman’s terms,. that means “let’s wait and see” what happens with the coronavirus pandemic.
Ideas have been tossed around by school officials on how to proceed with the upcoming season if the coronavirus is still in play. On Monday, USC head coach Clay Helton reported that the Pac-12 is considering playing 11 conference games while eliminating all non-conference opponents, according to NBC Sports Northwest.
“That is one of the many structures as we go through this situation and this crisis,” Helton told the Los Angeles Times.
The Pac-12’s problems have fueled speculation and rumors, including one that has Alabama possibly meeting TCU at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The reason? Alabama has USC on its schedule and TCU is scheduled to play Cal.
Other schools in California are facing uncertainty on the football field.
Timothy White, chancellor for the California State University system, said on Tuesday that the system’s 23 universities will be virtual in the fall, with no students on campuses, according to Yahoo Sports. That could mean no football for the system’s Division I schools that play in the Mountain West Conference: Fresno State, San Diego State and San Jose State, though no decisions have been made.
A week ago, Oregon Governor Kate Brown said that large gatherings should be canceled or modified through September at the very least.
“Concerts, conventions, festivals, live audience sports won’t be possible until a reliable treatment or prevention is available,” she said in her statement. “It is unknown at this time when this will be. Therefore, all large gatherings should be cancelled or significantly modified through at least September. Further guidance on large gatherings scheduled for later in the fall will be provided this summer.”
The Oregon Ducks start their 2020 season on September 5th with a home game against North Dakota State, according to NBC Sports. But the game that is worrying fans is the one following it, when the Ducks take on the Ohio State Buckeyes: