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The Pac-12 has decided to cancel the 2020 fall football season along with other fall sports due to the risks involved with playing during the coronavirus pandemic.
The conference released a statement discussing their reasoning for the move, which included details from Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott:
“The health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes and all those connected to Pac-12 sports has been our number one priority since the start of this current crisis,” said Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott. “Our student-athletes, fans, staff and all those who love college sports would like to have seen the season played this calendar year as originally planned, and we know how disappointing this is.”
The ongoing pandemic has offered up its own set of challenges for the NCAA trying to make the 2020 campaign. Unlike professional sports leagues like the NFL and NBA where a union can establish health guidelines for its employees, student-athletes are unable to collectively bargain for safety protocols.
The Pac-12 was initially among those that were hoping to go with a conference-only schedule starting on Sept. 26, however, they have now joined the Big Ten in canceling football in the fall. Meanwhile, the other remaining members of the Power Five in the ACC, Big 12 and SEC are still mulling their options.
Reports also indicate that the SEC is making efforts to salvage the 2020 campaign by bringing other teams into the mix. It remains to be seen if any teams are allowed to switch if they do not agree with their respective conference's decision.
The prospect of the season being postponed or canceled altogether has raised plenty of debate on social media. Players have since started the hashtag #WeWantToPlay on Twitter that raised awareness on their desire to play under viable, safety protocols and form a union that would allow for them to keep their eligibility if they opt out.
Despite the growing numbers of COVID-19 cases throughout the nation, even President Donald Trump has chimed in by saying it would be a “tragic mistake” for college football to be suspended indefinitely.
