Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.

Pac-12 announces the postponement of all sports for rest of 2020

All fall ASU sports have had their season postponed for 2020

SunDevilStadium.jpg
Sun Devil Stadium entrance pictured in Tempe, Arizona on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019.​

Following a Pac-12 CEO group meeting Tuesday, the conference announced the decision to postpone all athletic activity through the end of 2020. 

The group, which consists of all 12 of the university presidents and chancellors in the conference, voted unanimously to postpone fall sports but said in a press release it would consider a Jan. 1 start date if conditions approve.

The announcement came after similar announcements to postpone from the Big Sky Conference, Mid-Atlantic Conference and Mountain West Conference this past week. 

The Pac-12 joins the only other Power 5 conference to postpone fall sports with the Big Ten's announcement Tuesday afternoon of the postponement of its fall sports season. Currently, the Pac-12 stands as the only Power 5 conference to postpone sports for the rest of the calendar year.

"The decision was made after consultation with athletics directors and with the Pac-12 COVID-19 Medical Advisory Committee who expressed concern with moving forward with contact practice," the conference said in a release.

The conference used its Pac-12 COVID-19 Return to Play Considerations completed by the Pac-12 Medical Advisory Committee to come to Tuesday's decision.

Originally, the Pac-12 designed a 10-game conference-only schedule starting on Sept. 26, announced on Aug. 1. In the previous schedule, ASU was scheduled to play UA in Tucson on opening weekend.

"Unlike professional sports, college sports cannot operate in a bubble,” Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said in the release. “Our athletic programs are a part of broader campuses in communities where in many cases the prevalence of COVID-19 is significant."

The decision comes after a number of athletes tweeted a #WeWantToPlay campaign.

The conference referenced an effort to play football and other impacted sports schedule in the spring, much like the Big Ten. That decision will be made as conditions improve on or after Jan. 1, 2021.

Scott mentioned the difficulty of the decision, looking at the stakeholders involved, more specifically student-athletes.

“We know that this is a difficult day for our student-athletes, and our hearts go out to them and their families,” Scott said in the release.  “We have made clear that all of their scholarships will be guaranteed, and that as a Conference we are strongly encouraging the NCAA to grant them an additional year of eligibility.”


Reach the reporters at kbriley@asu.edu and ancoil@asu.edu and follow @KokiRiley and @anc2018 on Twitter.

Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on Twitter.


Continue supporting student journalism and donate to The State Press today.

Subscribe to Pressing Matters



×

Notice

This website uses cookies to make your experience better and easier. By using this website you consent to our use of cookies. For more information, please see our Cookie Policy.