Pac-12 coaches discuss preparation, scheduling scenarios for 2020 college football season
Some Pac-12 coaches have used virtual backgrounds, their faces floating in front of campus buildings or stadiums. Nick Rolovich, Washington State’s new head coach, had a stuffed cougar peering over his shoulder. First-year Washington head coach Jimmy Lake appeared in his office, a whiteboard visible in the background.
These are the scenes this week as the conference’s head coaches meet with the media via a series of webinars.
While each day focuses on a list of predetermined primary topics, every meeting has — understandably — ultimately revolved around the COVID-19 pandemic. Mainly, will there be a college football season? And, if so, what will it look like?
Rolovich, USC’s Clay Helton and Stanford’s David Shaw were the first coaches to field inquiries about the upcoming season. Helton said multiple options have been considered and discussed with the Pac-12, including an 11-game season played solely against conference opponents.
“We’ve been talking about all different scenarios,” Helton said, “About the opportunity of starting on time, the opportunity of maybe it’s pushed back, the opportunity of maybe it’s more of an abbreviated conference schedule. What does the playoff look like?
“All of those discussions are being had — not only in conference meetings with the head coaches but the commissioners and the NCAA — to put together the best structure we can for a season.”
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said Tuesday that he hadn’t heard of an 11-game schedule yet.
“I have heard of a 10-game and nine-game model,” he said. “I guess there is nothing wrong with an 11-game model if you have the time frame. One of my big issues is trying to avoid playing games during finals. I think that’s tough on the student-athletes and I know we have bowl prep during finals, but that’s a whole different ballgame than getting ready for an actual game that week.
“I think we’re going to try our best to get as many games as we can and we’ll see what happens. There’s so much unknown and so much fluidness to the situation that it’s pointless to try and pinpoint any one direction that we’re going to go. We’re going to have to wait and see and go from there.”
Helton said college football’s plan will probably become clear in six to eight weeks. And while NCAA President Mark Emmert said previously that “if you don’t have students on campus, you don’t have student-athletes on campus,” Shaw didn’t necessarily agree.
“I think that’s a great sentiment, but I don’t know that that’s going to rule the day when it’s all said and done,” Shaw said. “I think the president of the United States is going to have a weigh-in. I think every state governor is going to have a weigh-in. I think every president, provost, chancellor is going to have a weigh-in.
“There may be a scenario to where campuses are partially open, and if we can bring back athletes and bring back a section of the student body, that may not be exactly what Mr. Emmert is talking about, but that may be good for a certain university. They may feel they’re comfortable and ready to resume part of their normal activities and still field teams for fall sports, and not just football, then I think that’s going to be acceptable.”
Shaw said many Pac-12 coaches believe there won’t be a 12-game season and “it may not even start on time.” They’ve also had discussions about playing games without fans in attendance.
“If we feel it’s safe enough to play, then I’d like to play,” Rolovich said of that possibility. “I know that the fans are part of the experience. It’s also part of the financial model. But that’s not in my job description. So, we’re just trying to hopefully get some games this fall.”
With spring practices canceled, coaches have been working with their teams virtually. But they would still need time on the field before the season could begin. Tuesday’s webinar participants — Lake, Whittingham and Colorado’s Karl Dorrell — said the consensus among Pac-12 coaches is that teams would need a minimum of six weeks to prepare. Eight weeks would be preferred.
“I think it’s an eight-week process,” Dorrell said. “I’d like to have a month of training and conditioning to kind of get (players) into shape and then a month of training camp and then play the game. I don’t think we’re going to get anything close to that.
“It’s going to be a little bit of a faster process. Given the circumstances and this season and what we’re dealing with, I think all of us coaches feel whatever time they give us, we’ll be appreciative of it and we’ll just make the most of it.”
COVID-19 has hit some cities harder than others, meaning certain schools could be ready to resume practice sooner than the rest. To keep an even playing field, Lake would support a blanket rule from the NCAA dictating when teams could begin practice.
Washington is reopening in phases, with most of the state currently in Phase 1. Each phase is set to last at least three weeks, and gatherings of more than 50 people aren’t permitted until Phase 4. Right now, the state wouldn’t reach that phase until mid-July. UW’s home opener is currently scheduled for Sept. 5 against Michigan. Washington State is supposed to open at Utah State on Sept. 3.
UW already canceled all athletic-related activities and events through the end of the spring quarter on June 5. The Pac-12 suspended organized athletic activities through May 31.
“I believe the NCAA should step in and say here’s the date where everybody can start,” Lake said. “Obviously, we have a non-conference game to start off. If they were able to practice two months before we were able to practice, that’s a disadvantage and not even talking about Utah or Colorado, just our first game that we’re slated to play. So, that’s what I would be for. And then I think we would all be on an even playing field.”
Whittingham and Dorrell both noted the difference between having players on campus for training and the official start of a potential six-week lead-in. While both supported every team officially starting practice at the same time, Whittingham said athletes should be able to train on campus as soon as it’s permissible in their respective states.
This story was originally published May 12, 2020 at 1:41 PM.
