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Pac-12 football season could start on time according to Commissioner Larry Scott

Posted at 9:39 PM, May 22, 2020
and last updated 2020-05-23 00:39:15-04

The Pac-12 football season's fate has felt shaky at times, but Commissioner Larry Scott provided an optimistic update on Friday on CNN.

"If things continue to progress in a positive direction, then training camp for football could start as early as late July, and we could be on a nice glide path to the start of the college football season at the end of August," Scott said.

That timeline would fit in a full season as the Arizona Wildcats open against Hawai'i on August 29, and Arizona State hosts NAU on September 3.

Whether or not fans will be allowed in the stadium for those games, or any game during the 2020 college football season, the commissioner believes it will vary from state-to-state.

"I think we're going to see a wide disparity across the country," Scott said. "States will allow fans, probably initially on some type of socially distanced basis, and then on a phased approach starting to allow more and more. Some states will be a little bit more conservative and will be playing in front of empty stadiums, which will be a bit surreal and challenging."

The SEC voted Friday to allow student-athletes to return to on-campus athletic facilities for voluntary workouts beginning June 8. Scott said the Pac-12 is in the process of discussing a similar plan with medical experts.

"In most cases, we feel that student-athletes will be in a safer position, and a healthier position, if they can have access to the world-class medical care, supervision, support that they can get on their campuses."