College Football Conferences, Teams Still Planning To Play Fall Football
Aug 13, 2020, 3:21 PM | Updated: 3:30 pm
PROVO, UT - OCTOBER 14: General view of LaVell Edwards Stadium and the field logo before the game between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Brigham Young Cougars on October 14, 2016 in Provo Utah. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images)
(Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The group of college football conferences and teams that are still planning to play football this fall is shrinking. But there are some that still remain in the FBS ranks.
Here’s the list of teams and conferences that are still planning to play football this fall.
College Football Conferences, Teams Planning to Play in Fall
BYU
BYU is the last football program in the state of Utah and in the Mountain and Pacific timezones that still intends to play in the fall. The Cougars are an FBS Independent and currently have four games on its 2020 schedule.
Will college football fans out west rally to support #BYU football this fall?
They are the last one's standing.#BYUFootball #GoCougs https://t.co/7QKBx1cryz
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 13, 2020
Army West Point
Like BYU, Army West Point is an FBS Independent. The Black Knights recently added a game against Georgia Southern from the Sun Belt Conference to bring their total number of games for 2020 to five.
Georgia Southern adds Army to 2020 football schedulehttps://t.co/lRIESwt5Bb pic.twitter.com/jl9MZuUyRt
— FBSchedules.com (@FBSchedules) August 11, 2020
Liberty
Another Independent, the Flames have three games on their schedule against Power 5 opponents from the ACC. Liberty has a total of eight games for 2020 and has expressed a desire to fufill the schedule this fall.
This is great idea but let’s throw in @LibertyFootball @BYUfootball @ArmyWP_Football @ConferenceUSA @SunBelt #WeWantToPlay https://t.co/HcOcNiz1AD
— Hugh Freeze (@CoachHughFreeze) August 12, 2020
American Athletic Conference
The AAC, which views itself as the sixth power conference in college football, is moving forward with intentions to play 12-game schedules with eight conference matchups and four out of the league.
AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco: "You have to work your way through this. You have to continue to live. You have to do the things necessary to maintain what your community, what your student-athletes want to do. And if you can do it safely, you do your best.”
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) August 12, 2020
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt is moving forward with a 12-game schedule that consists of eight league games and four non-conference matchups beginning on Labor Day weekend.
After extensive discussions and careful deliberation, the Sun Belt Conference announced today that its football season will begin over Labor Day weekend. #SunBeltFB https://t.co/NeoSqkl6cm pic.twitter.com/ocu2fx1xda
— Sun Belt (@SunBelt) August 4, 2020
Conference-USA
Longstanding Group of 5 league, C-USA is moving forward with a 12-game schedule that features eight league games and four non-conference. One of their 14 members, Old Dominion, opted to cancel the football season. Two others, Rice and Florida International, have postponed their seasons to the end of September.
The latest statement from our C-USA Board of Directors: pic.twitter.com/MX50Pv3yUj
— Conference USA (@ConferenceUSA) August 13, 2020
Atlantic Coast Conference
The ACC is going forward with a conference-only, plus-one model that features Notre Dame as a league member and eligible to win the ACC title. Five ACC teams have yet to fill their non-conference spot. The notables of that five include the Irish and national runner-up from a year ago, Clemson.
Statement from the ACC: pic.twitter.com/9lBY5h8jNy
— The ACC (@theACC) August 11, 2020
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 is going forward with a “9+1” schedule. Nine conference games and one non-conference game played at a Big 12 team’s venue. Everyone except Baylor and Kansas has filled their non-conference date. But those programs are believed to have agreements in place with programs already.
A 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 delivery for #Big12FB fans‼️
Your first look at the 2⃣0⃣2⃣0⃣ Conference schedule ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/1W00A3EYuM
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) August 12, 2020
Southeastern Conference
College Football’s most successful conference the last 14 years, the SEC, is going to a Conference-only schedule that begins September 26th.
Statement from @SEC Commissioner @GregSankey pic.twitter.com/8nyweGPBk1
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) August 11, 2020
Conferences, Teams Not Playing Fall Football
Big Ten Conference
Postponed to spring. 2020 is the first time since 1895 that the Big Ten Conference will not play a football season.
The @BigTen will not be playing football this fall. Not ruling out the possibility of football being played in the spring.https://t.co/ZNQtF5mI9Q
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 11, 2020
Mid-American Conference
The MAC was the first FBS conference to postpone football in the fall.
#BYU has lost seven games from its original 2020 football schedule.
The latest a matchup against Northern Illinois from the MAC.#BYUFootball #GoCougs #MACtion https://t.co/stUInB759L
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 8, 2020
Mountain West Conference
First time since its inception in 1999 that the MWC will not have a football season. Targeting a spring season.
OFFICIAL: The Mountain West Conference has postponed all fall sports due to COVID-19 player health and safety concerns. @kslsports https://t.co/3EDTwtQmP2
— KSL 5 TV (@KSL5TV) August 11, 2020
Pac-12 Conference
All athletic activities in the conference postponed till January 1st, 2021.
Official announcement from the @pac12 https://t.co/RwhbO1dGLl
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 11, 2020
Old Dominion
The first team within a conference to postpone their season.
Old Dominion Athletics Announces Cancellation of Fall Sports Season#ODUSports | #ODU https://t.co/T3blXPvfLf
— ODU Athletics (@ODUSports) August 10, 2020
UMass
An FBS Independent, UMass cited they administered 600 tests with only one positive COVID-19 test.
If #BYU puts together games with Independent programs, the #UMass Minutemen won't be an option. https://t.co/wCtpZxvi6C
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 11, 2020
New Mexico State
The Aggies canceled their season on Thursday citing challenges to schedule road games due to the state of New Mexico’s 14-day quarantine requirements.
New Mexico State University has made the decision to postpone the 2020 @NMStateFootball season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.https://t.co/y2FSmet74n
— NM State Aggies (@NMStateAggies) August 13, 2020
UConn
2020 was set to be UConn’s first season as an FBS Independent but the Huskies instead opted to be the first team to cancel its season.
After receiving guidance from state and public health officials and consulting with football student-athletes, we've decided that @UConnFootball will not compete on the gridiron this season. https://t.co/R5dLlnFNo9
— UConn Huskies (@UConnHuskies) August 5, 2020
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
