The Pac-12 has a plan to play a 10-game conference-only football schedule that would start Sept. 19, sources confirmed to ESPN on Thursday.
Two weeks ago, the Pac-12 announced it would go to a conference-only schedule and delay the start of the season as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Hammering out the details for a 10-game schedule intensified in the past several weeks, and it includes built-in bye weeks in case there are games that cannot be played as scheduled.
The San Jose Mercury News first reported the details of the new Pac-12 scheduling plan.
The Pac-12 championship game is currently scheduled for Dec. 4, but one source indicated to ESPN that there is flexibility on a December date.
“We are leaving some open weeks just in case,” the source said.
The 10-game plan is not completely done, as there remain a few nuances to be worked out and university presidents still must approve the plan. One option would be staying with the usual nine-game schedule.
A final scheduling decision is expected to be announced next week.
To shift from a nine-game to a 10-game league schedule, various models had to be run. Teams in opposite divisions had to be paired together, and those in need of a home game also helped determine matchups.
Adam Rittenberg contributed to this report.