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Sports 7A Thursday, August 13, 2020 Th e Observer Big Ten, Pac-12 cancel fall football seasons Conferences’ decisions also include delay of other fall sports By Ralph Russo Associated Press A crumbling college football season took a massive hit Tuesday, Aug. 11, as the Big Ten and Pac- 12, two historic and powerful conferences, succumbed to the pandemic and canceled their fall football seasons. Five months almost to the day after the fi rst spikes in corona- virus cases in the U.S. led to the cancellation of the NCAA basket- ball tournaments, the still raging pandemic is tearing down another American sports institution: fall Saturdays fi lled with college football. “This was an extremely diffi - cult and painful decision that we know will have important impacts on our student-athletes, coaches, administrators and our fans,” Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said. “We know nothing will ease that.” Despite pleas from players, coaches and President Donald Trump in recent days to play on, 40% of major college football teams have now decided to punt on a fall season, a decision that will cost schools tens of millions of dollars and upends traditions dating back a century. Tony Avelar/AP fi le photo In this Dec. 6, 2019, fi le photo, Oregon safety Jevon Holland (8) breaks up a pass for Utah wide receiver Jaylen Dixon (25) during the fi rst half of the Pac-12 Conference championship NCAA college football game in Santa Clara, California. Both the Pac-12 and Big Ten on Tuesday, Aug. 11, announced they were canceling the fall football season. Both conferences cited the risk of trying to keep players from con- tracting and spreading the coro- navirus when the programs are not operating in a bubble like the NBA and NHL are doing. They also cited the broader state of the pandemic in the United States, which has had more than 5 million cases of COVID-19. “Every life is critical,” fi rst- year Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren told AP. “We wanted to make sure we continually, not only in our words but in our actions, do put the health and safety and well- ness of our student-athletes fi rst.” Two smaller conferences, the Mid-American and Mountain West, had already announced the uncertain move to spring football. The decisions by the deep-pock- eted Big Ten and Pac-12, with hundred million-dollar television contracts and historic programs, shook the foundation of college sports. What’s next? The Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference released statements expressing cautious optimism. The Big 12 was conspicuously quiet, at least publicly. Outside the Power Five conferences, the American Ath- letic Conference, Conference USA and Sun Belt made no immediate moves. “Everyone is going to make their independent decisions and I certainly respect our col- leagues,” Scott said. “We try to be very collaborative, commu- nicative with our peers across the country. But at the end of the day, our presidents and chancel- lors looked at what was in best interest of Pac-12 student-ath- letes based on the advice and frankly what’s going on in our communities.” The Big Ten said it was post- poning all fall sports and hoping to make them up in the second semester. An hour later, the Pac- 12, the Big Ten’s Rose Bowl partner, said all sports would be paused until Jan. 1, including basketball. Players around the country were stunned. Many had recently taken to social media with the hashtag We Want to Play. Ohio State star quarterback Justin Fields was among the players trying to present a unifi ed front and save their season, but it didn’t matter. After the announcement, Fields simply posted to Twitter: “smh,” short for shaking my head. “Our lives are changing forever right before our eyes,” Arizona offensive lineman Donovan Laie tweeted. MORE WINNERS. MORE OFTEN AND NOW... MORE FUN TO SPARE! Coming Next Month! QUAKING ASPENS LANES ARCADE FOOD COURT PLAY, WIN, REPEAT PLENTY OF STRIKES TO SPARE QUICK, EASY & SATISFYING l Over 30 New & Classic Games l Rewards Center With Great Prizes | 24 Lanes l 8 Boutique Lanes with 2 Party Rooms l Full Service Food & Drink l Bowling Lockers & Ball Fitting l Advanced Scoring Technologies l 3 Delicious New Food Venues l Tasty Sweet Shop l Dine-In or Take Out l Fun For All Ages 800.654.9453 • Pendleton, OR • wildhorseresort.com Owned and operated by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. 03255.TT.8.20
