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Pac-12 teams will play a conference-only schedule in fall 2020, following in footsteps of Big Ten

Pac-12 teams will play a conference-only schedule in fall 2020, following in footsteps of Big Ten
Posted at 4:20 PM, Jul 10, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-10 19:20:11-04

The Pac-12 Conference announced Friday that member athletic teams in several sports — including football — would play a limited schedule against only conference opponents.

The conference also announced that it was delaying the start of mandatory athletic activities "until a series of health and safety indicators...provided sufficient positive data to enable a move to a second phase of return-to-play activities."

The conference did not say in its statement what those "indicators" were.

Men's and women's soccer and women's volleyball teams will also be limited to a conference-only schedule this fall.

The Pac-12 added that it would honor scholarships for players who choose to sit out the season for fear of contracting the virus.

The conference's decision eliminates a number of high-profile non-conference matchups that would have netted members' schools a significant paycheck from broadcasters. It could also negatively impact any Pac-12 football team's chance of playing in a postseason bowl game.

The decision comes a day after the Big Ten made a similar announcement. The Ivy League announced earlier this week that its athletic teams would not compete in the fall.