Big 12 non-committal about playing after Big Ten/Pac-12 cancel fall football
The Big 12 has still not made a decision on the 2020 season despite the Big Ten and Pac-12 canceling the fall college football season.
The Big Ten and Pac-12 have canceled their 2020 fall football seasons and the focus now shifts to the SEC, ACC and Big 12.
The general strategy for conferences has been to wait for someone else to make a move first. The Mid-American Conference got the ball rolling in general and the Big Ten and Pac-12 quickly became the first major conferences to cancel their own seasons.
Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby was asked about his own conference and did not provide a clear answer.
Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby says he wasn't shocked by decision by Big Ten to cancel fall football. Asked if Big 12 can realistically continue if Big Ten and Pac-12 both cancel fall sports, Bowlsby said, "We'll see." He doesn't want to speak for B12 presidents, chancellors.
— Kirk Bohls (@kbohls) August 11, 2020
Big 12 still waiting what to do with regard to the fall football season
Saying “we’ll see” is not exactly a confident answer. This also reflects the general lack of strong leadership seen within the NCAA and its conferences that has led to quick cancellations after an offseason supposed to be filled with preparation.
If the Big Ten and Pac-12 declare it too risky to play, what justification would the Big 12 have for continuing to stage a season? This is an incredibly difficult situation only being made worse with non-committal answers by those in positions of power.
One option is to delay the season a few months and reevaluate. But a more realistic option may be to just stage the entire season in the spring. There is no certainty that the country will be back to normal by then, but having all conferences agreeing on the same timeframe makes things much easier.
Big 12 university presidents have seen their colleagues decide it is not safe to play fall sports. While they have not yet made an official decision, it may have already been made for them in the eyes of the public.
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