There is strong optimism the Pac-12 will play football in January or possibly even soonerGETTY IMAGES
Pac-12 officials are "increasingly optimistic about a return to competition" after the conference "reached an agreement on daily, rapid-response coronavirus testing for its student-athletes," according to Ron Kroichick of the S.F. CHRONICLE. Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said the deal with the Quidel Corporation is a "game changer." Quidel's testing machines will be "delivered to each Pac-12 athletic department by the end of September," and testing "could begin about Oct. 1." Scott: "Right now, I've got a high degree of confidence we're playing (football) in January. It's possible we could play sooner." Pac-12 medical officials "insisted they are still evaluating the link between COVID-19 and myocarditis" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 9/5). In Portland, James Crepea wrote even "amid 24 hours of optimism" in the wake of the Quidel deal for testing, Scott "repeatedly noted current government and public health restrictions in California and Oregon prohibiting contact sports" (Portland OREGONIAN, 9/5).
SCHEDULING PRIORITIES: Scott said that the conference is "considering a variety of scheduling options that minimize travel, particularly air travel, and include playing multiple games at one location as opposed to traveling to multiple schools in a given weekend." He said that the Pac-12 "would like to have a spring football schedule that works in conjunction with the Big Ten." Scott: "A high priority for the Pac-12 would be trying to align our seasons in a way that not only for our student-athletes can we have a Pac-12 championship game and champion, but it would be awesome to have some of the traditional postseason opportunities the Pac-12 and Big Ten have enjoyed with each other over many, many decades" (Portland OREGONIAN, 9/5).
