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Report: Pac-12 ‘not seriously considering’ a spring football season
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Though the conversation of hosting college football in the spring has gained some traction in the past few weeks, it seems to be an unlikely avenue universities will pursue unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Last week, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith told 97.1 The Fan in Columbus that the B1G is not currently discussing the cancellation of the season, or even moving it to spring. Instead, the league is mostly focused on implementing a 10-game, conference-only schedule for the fall.
According to a report from The Mercury News, that appears to be the case on the West Coast, as well. The Pac-12 is mostly figuring out a way to get games in during the fall season and isn’t considering playing in the spring.
In an interview with Eye on the Ball — a radio show in Tucson — Arizona athletic director Dave Heeke emphasized that playing the fall was the top priority right now.
“This scheduling thing is focused on the fall,” Heeke said. “We want this to happen in the fall.
“We have not entertained a spring schedule, really. That’s always there. It’s kind of up on the shelf. We know it’s there and we can move to it, but let’s exhaust every ounce of possibilities for the fall.”
There still is no concrete plan about the upcoming season, though there have been reports that the Pac-12 is eyeing a Sept. 19 start date with a 10-game schedule. That would be a delayed start to the season, but might provide the best option for the league.
Whether or not the B1G would look at a similar start date and model is still unknown.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB