The Pac-12 has become the third Power Five conference to clarify its plans for the 2020 college football season.
It was already known that the Pac-12 would play a conference-only season this year. Friday, the league confirmed that it will go with a 10-game conference late. At the moment, the league is scheduled to kick off that campaign Sept. 26. Week 1, which would be Week 4 of a normal season, will feature a pair of rivalry games in UCLA-USC and Arizona-Arizona State.
Each Pac-12 school will play five home games and five on the road.
The conference championship game had been scheduled for the first weekend of December in Las Vegas. Now, it will be played on either the 18th or 19th of that month on the campus of the highest seed.
The conference also noted that the title game will be played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in both 2021 and 2022.
“From the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, we have been committed to prioritizing the health and safety of our student-athletes and all those connected to our athletic programs,” said Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott in a statement. “The schedule and plans approved today and path to return to competition are subject to public health orders and will be taken in accordance with the health and well-being guidelines developed by our Pac-12 Medical Advisory Committee. The schedule and return to play plans provide for maximum flexibility and the best opportunity to play all fall sports in an environment that prioritizes safety. At the same time, we will continue to evaluate the best available science, data and advice of public health officials as we make decisions and any required adjustments going forward.
The SEC had previously announced that it will be going to a conference-only, 10-game schedule that kicks off Sept. 26. The ACC will play 10 conference games as well as one non-conference matchup per school. That conference, though, will kick off its season Sept. 7-12.
The Big Ten and Big 12 have yet to announce their specific plans, although the latter will be going with a conference-only schedule that consists of 10 games.
