Report: Sense Of Unequal Preparation Time Looms Over Pac-12 With Varying Regional Restrictions
Jul 27, 2020, 2:14 PM | Updated: 4:08 pm
Utah Utes running back Zack Moss (2) avoids UCLA Bruins defensive back Stephan Blaylock (4) as Utah and UCLA play a college football game in Salt Lake City at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019. Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Pac-12 is expected to announce schedule details sometime this week for the upcoming football season that will be a conference-only schedule.
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Now that we know the non-conference slate has been canceled, the conference is figuring out how to give every school an equal amount of preparation while also trying to follow local COVID-19 guidelines and getting a season in.
Reports surfaced last week that the conference is likely to have a 10-game regular season schedule, adding one conference opponent to the original conference slate.
According to Yahoo! Sports college football reporter Pete Thamel, the Pac-12 is dealing with a “big looming issue” with some schools already prepared to start training camp and other are limited because of local COVID-19 restrictions. Thamel mentioned that there is already a sense that preparation time won’t be equitable.
Further complicating the league’s decision is that camps could run into the start of classes. Some schools are on quarter system (September start) and others semester (mid-Aug). Once classes begin, camp is limited to 20 hours. This could hurt the semester schools.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 27, 2020
The Pac-12 athletic directors met on Monday morning and they continue to find a plan that will work for every member.
Another issue that has been brought up to Thamel’s report is that training camps could run into the start of classes. When class starts, camp will be limited to 20 hours per week. Some Pac-12 schools run on a quarter system which would have classes beginning in September while others run on a semester system and start in the middle of August.
The Pac-12 ADs spoke on Monday morning. The goal for the Pac-12 this week is to find a model that all the schools are comfortable with.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 27, 2020
According to university websites, six Pac-12 are on a semester system, including Arizona, Arizona State, California, Colorado, Utah and USC. While Oregon State, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, Washington and Washington State are on the quarter system.
Trevor Allen is a Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Crimson Corner podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @TrevorASports. You can download and listen to the podcast, here.
