The Pac-12 cancels the 2020 football season

The Pac-12 has officially announced that the 2020 fall football season has been cancelled. According to Stadium’s Brett McMurphy, he was informed that official announcement was scheduled for Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott’s 1:30 PM PT press conference.

That means no Stanford Cardinal football in 2020.

The growing safety concerns and rising knowledge of the long-term impact of the coronavirus are ultimately what led to the cancellation of the Pac-12 football season this fall. It has been only hours since the Pac-12 had ‘an eye-opening experience’ after speaking with doctors who informed them of the link between myocarditis and COVID-19. Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle often associated with viral infections and been linked closely to COVID-19. It is quoted to “come on suddenly and often with significant severity, resulting in an exceptionally high risk of death caused by cardiogenic shock (the heart’s inability to pump enough blood), fatal arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats) and multiorgan failure,” according to the American Heart Association.

Stanford wasn’t alone in voting against a season this fall as reportedly the vote to shut down all athletic competition this fall was a unanimous vote from all 12 Pac-12 schools. No more athletic competition until January 1, 2021, at the earliest.

We all know why this has been done, it’s due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. It also came to a head this past Monday when Pac-12 presidents and chancellors had an ‘eye-opening’ experience when Pac-12 doctors informed them of the condition myocarditis. According to the doctors, Pac-12 officials were told of the linkage between the condition and COVID-19, especially in younger individuals.

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle often associated with viral infections and been linked closely to COVID-19. It is quoted to “come on suddenly and often with significant severity, resulting in an exceptionally high risk of death caused by cardiogenic shock (the heart’s inability to pump enough blood), fatal arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats) and multiorgan failure,” according to the American Heart Association.

The Big Ten became the first of the Power-5 Conferences to postpone the 2020 fall sports season, doing so at 2:45 PM ET, citing that their “primary responsibility is to make the best possible decisions in the interest of our students, faculty and staff,” according to a statement from Morton Schapiro, Chair of the Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors.

Their decision included football as well as men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball.

Their goal at the Big Ten was to play those seasons in the spring.

Say what you will about the Pac-12, but the Big Ten showed their own troubles during this process. It was stated on Monday that they were cancelling their season, but due to public outrage, they backed off their word and then let us wonder for 24 hours before making the same decision ‘official’ and public.

Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel also stated that the conference had began to discuss what would happen if the season wasn’t played as late as Sunday night, but not any sooner.

With the Pac-12 and Big Ten officially done for in 2020, that’s now nearly the majority of the nation’s universities at the major college football level that have cancelled or postponed their seasons. The Pac-12, Big Ten, MAC and Mountain West as well as Independent Schools UConn and UMass and Conference-USA’s Old Dominion account for 52 of the 130 FBS teams.

The fate of the college football season happening in 2020 now relies on the Big 12’s decision as reportedly, the SEC is favoring a continuation of playing this fall, but will need the Big 12 to come with them.

The Pac-12’s cancellation, of course, comes just a few short weeks after they announced a conference-only schedule, consisting of 10 games for each of the 12 member universities.

During a press conference with Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott, Stanford’s cut of 11 varsity sports was brought up, as cancelling the season certainly will put all 12 member universities in a financial strain.

Oregon State athletic Director Ray Anderson led the answers, stating each university will be on their own in that regard.

“Every institution is going to have to determine for themselves what the way forward is,” Anderson said. “We’re certainly intending and adamant about continuing the athletic experience for our student-athletes. Finances and expenses will certainly be tested and each school will have to get creative with revenue-generating experiences going forward.”

Still more to come.