The chatter of the sports world so far this week has been how Power 5 conferences that are within the NCAA may or may not decide to play fall sports this season – such as volleyball, women’s soccer and – of course – football.
In addition to football cancellations involving the MAC, the Big South and the Mountain West Conference, two of those Power 5 recently announced that it too would be canceling fall sports.
The Big Ten announced that its fall sports slate would be cancelled and it would look to stage those particular sports in the fall. The Pac-12 recently announced that all sports would be cancelled for the remainder of the calendar year – not simply the fall semester.
Update on the 2020-21 Pac-12 season below.https://t.co/G6VxDO2VM2
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) August 11, 2020
These cancellations actually have a significant effect on the status of women’s basketball within the Pac-12 given that its teams begin their seasons prior to the start of the new calendar year. Programs that have sent many a women’s basketball player to the WNBA – including Oregon and Stanford – will be affected.
#GoDucks pic.twitter.com/KdmihXxUXc
— GoDucks (@GoDucks) August 11, 2020
Oregon’s nonconference schedule was even slated to include a marquee matchup sometime in late November that could have seen Kelly Graves’ Ducks match up with Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks. This was a contest slated to occur sometime this year during the NCAA tournament, but it was cancelled due to the coronavirus.
Devastating news but we know that this is bigger than basketball. Believe us, when the time comes for us to compete, we will be ready! 💜#AlwaysCompete x #GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/F7FpadvKqK
— Washington Women’s Basketball (@UW_WBB) August 12, 2020
The Pac-12 has postponed all sport competitions through the end of the calendar year.
A statement from our Athletic Director, Martin Jarmond. ⤵️ https://t.co/BlqrrK7MdT
— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) August 11, 2020
Athletics Director @Dave_Heeke on today’s Pac-12 announcement pic.twitter.com/JloKKVtvJn
— Arizona Athletics (@AZATHLETICS) August 11, 2020
The Pac-12 Conference CEO group of presidents and chancellors voted unanimously on Tuesday to postpone all fall sports seasons, as well as the start of winter sports seasons, until January 1 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.https://t.co/6NXIcJovOt#GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/bWluI45HLG
— Colorado Buffaloes (@CUBuffs) August 11, 2020
Statement from Athletic Director Pat Chun.
📰: https://t.co/iypYIgWHie pic.twitter.com/FsGXv9SRHg
— Washington State Athletics (@WSUCougars) August 11, 2020
Statement from Chancellor Christ and AD Jim Knowlton on postponement of 2020 sports competition.
Release: https://t.co/Pc3ysjygA5 pic.twitter.com/klzkD4yxpz
— Cal Athletics (@CalAthletics) August 11, 2020
A letter from @MarkHarlan_AD regarding today’s announcement from the conference: https://t.co/79jxaB9efT
— Utah Athletics (@utahathletics) August 11, 2020
