Considered by many in college football to be the conference most likely to cancel its fall season, the Pac-12 is moving forward with plans for a conference-only 10-game schedule.
The official announcement, with weekly clashes, is expected by the end of next week.
But the hotline has rebuilt the preferred model framework based on information provided by sources familiar with the plan.
Considering coronavirus case counts and curve trajectories in various areas of the Pac-12 footprint, it is a fairly aggressive approach spanning a maximum of 14 weeks from mid-September.
“They are taking some success in the next month or two (against the virus),” a source said.
The conference canceled all non-conference games on July 10, a day after Big Ten made the move.
(The SEC, ACC, and Big 12 are working on ‘plus’ models, whereby they play a full roster of conference games and at least one non-conference opponent.)
But the Pac-12 soccer planning group, which includes athletic directors, coaches, and directors of soccer operations, has been modeling conference-only schedules for months and is in regular contact with the coronavirus advisory committee of the conference.
At least half a dozen models have received consideration in the past few weeks, the sources said.
The final version, which will be released next week, will require the approval of presidents and chancellors.
It is expected to include the following:
*** A regular 10-game season, with each team playing their division opponents and five crossover games.
The conference has nine game schedules ready and could switch to that model if presidents prefer a more conservative approach or if public health circumstances dictate a change.
“They want to be as flexible as possible, so they are not eliminating the nine-game option,” said one source.
*** The season opener was scheduled for September 19, or what would have been Week Three on the original 2020 calendar.
The start date gives the conference time to overcome current increases in coronavirus; the teams would not begin formal training camp until mid-August.
That phase of the process will require the approval of health officials.
“The problem is that Utah and Los Angeles have very different situations; Washington and Washington state have very different situations, “said a source.
“So some of that will depend on the public health people.”
*** At least two weeks off are built into the lineup, creating windows for games that can’t be played on schedule.
The hotline was unable to confirm when those goodbyes will be included in October and November.
But sources said the conference is also allowing a mattress in early December, at the end of the revised regular season.
*** The Pac-12 Championship at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas could be played on any of the three weekends.
It was originally scheduled for Friday, December 4 and remains an option at best.
But if that weekend is necessary for the make-up games, for example: if the teams cannot play the first games on September 19, the conference has ensured the option of organizing the championship on the weekend of 11-12 December. December.
And if that weekend is also needed for makeup, the title game could be delayed until the weekend of December 18-19.
The date “will depend on whether they flex the weeks,” a source said.
The flexible championship date is the result of flexibility with the bowl calendar.
ESPN, which owns the vast majority of bowl games, has the option to move them around like chess pieces; They could be rescheduled for January, if necessary.
The Pac-12’s main concern with setting December 19 as the last possible date for its championship game was the College Football Playoff.
If the event runs as scheduled, with semifinals at the Rose and Sugar bowling on New Year’s Day, the Pac-12 wanted any potential participant to have two weeks to prepare.
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