The Pac-12 joined the Big Ten last month in announcing that it was postponing the 2020 college football season through at least this fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the Big Ten considers a Thanksgiving Weekend start to its conference-only schedule, there has not been much come from the Pac-12 since its season was postponed. That’s now changed.
Pac-12 announces rapid COVID-19 testing that could lead to start of 2020 college football season
“The Pac-12 Conference announced today that it has entered into an agreement with diagnostic test leader Quidel Corporation to implement up to daily testing for COVID-19 with student-athletes across all of its campuses for all close-contact sports,” the conference announced Thursday, via its official website. “The agreement is a major step toward the safe return of sports competition in the Pac-12. The arrangement with Quidel will provide for frequent testing with rapid results, which had been one of the key concerns in the prior decision by the Pac-12 to postpone sport competition.”
Rapid COVID-19 testing and results is one huge aspect as it pertains to college sports starting again in a widespread manner throughout the country. We’ve seen other entities around the sports world team up with the medical community as a way to expedite rapid testing. This is just the latest example.
As for the Pac-12, there now has to be optimism that the 2020 season won’t be pushed back all the way to the fall. That has seemed to be the case over the past several weeks.
With the other three Power Five conferences set to begin their seasons later this month, it’s now looking more and more like the Big Ten and Pac-12 could follow suit shortly thereafter.
This qualifies as tremendous news.