Pac-12 Resumes Football, Capping Big Conferences’ Return

(Bloomberg) -- And the Pac-12 makes five.

The league made up of West Coast schools such as the University of Southern California and the University of Oregon became the final Power Five conference to announce that it will play football this season, following the Big Ten’s reversal on Sept. 16. Pac-12 games are set to begin on Nov. 6, according to a Pac-12 statement Thursday. The conference also announced that men’s and women’s basketball would start on Nov. 25.

The football decision means the cash cow of college sports will be played across the U.S., albeit with shortened schedules. Colleges are under pressure to return to a sense of normalcy with in-person classes and limited sports, especially as canceling football cut off a key revenue source. Still, large state schools including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill opted to send students home after Covid-19 outbreaks.

The Pac-12 initially postponed its football season along with other sports on Aug. 11 because of safety concerns stemming from the pandemic. Since then, the league has paired with Quidel Corp., which said it has created an antigen test that could produce results in 15 minutes.

“From the beginning of this crisis, our focus has been on following the science, data and counsel of our public health and infectious disease experts,” said Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott in the statement. “Our agreement with Quidel to provide daily rapid-results testing has been a game-changer in enabling us to move forward with confidence that we can create a safe environment for our student-athletes while giving them the opportunity to pursue their dreams.”

Earlier this month, USC football players posted a letter on Twitter urging California Governor Gavin Newsom to lift restrictions that prevent the league from playing in the state.

Conference Commissioner Larry Scott said in a Sept. 16 statement that Newsom and Oregon Governor Kate Brown would allow play if county public-health officials approve.

That night, officials from USC and crosstown rival University of California at Los Angeles, held a Zoom call with county health officials where they were given the go-ahead to begin practices, the Mercury News reported.

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