Big 12 Considering How, When, If to Cancel Games in 2020
As the incredibly unusual 2020 college football season inches closer, the Big 12 Conference is looking at different options on how to proceed forward and whether or not as game should go on as planned.
According to a report from CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd, a subcommittee of five ADs — from Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma, TCU and West Virginia — is in the early stages of setting thresholds for postponements, cancellations and even forfeits.
The options being discussed are as follows.
Losing 25% of Scholarship Players
For a roster of 85 scholarship players, that would mean a loss of 21 players, or a total of 64 scholarship players. It’s believed most teams would need at least 53, which is what the NFL uses. That would include 44 on the two deep depth chart, a long-snapper, holder and some special teams players.
Cross Training
If rosters are shortened, teams would end up with players working out at multiple positions to make the lineup more flexible. Wide receivers as cornerbacks, tight ends as defensive ends, etc.
Testing
When do players get tested? Day before gameday? Or middle of the week? That’s a standard that should probably be across the Power 5. That would go a long way toward deciding whether a game is going to be played. However, as Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione wondered about key players testing positive the day before a game, what might that mean? And what impact should it play?
Gamesmanship
If COVID were to spread amongst lets say, just the quarterbacks, then should a team want to play with no quarterbacks available? Should the opposing team insist that game is played? How does that get handled on both sides?
Schedule
Could games be made up by two Big 12 teams with open dates playing a nonconference game? That’s one option being discussed. Also, moving back Championship Games, which is already on the Big 12 radar.
The Big 12 has said it has about one month to figure out all these details as the season is set to kick off on September 5th.
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