Precedent Set: Big Ten Will Only Play Conference Football Games in 2020

Will the Pac-12 follow the example of its Rose Bowl partner and eliminate nonconference games this season?

Want a precedent? Here it is: The Big Ten announced Thursday that its football teams will play a conference-only schedule.

The Big Ten is the first conference to make such a decision, but it's a good bet that others will follow. That's how sports works. 

The Pac-12 has made no announcement about its plans along those lines, but commissioner Larry Scott has noted the possibility of a conference-only schedule.

From where I sit, I would say it is likely the Pac-12 will choose that course. In Cal's case that would mean nonconference games against UNLV, TCU and Cal Poly would be wiped out and conference games against Arizona and Colorado might be added. I say "might" because those two opponents would have to be added to the schedule in some as-yet-undetermined fashion.

It's noteworthy that this Big Ten announcement does not guarantee that Big Ten football will take place this season. It merely says that its teams will only play conference opponents if there is a season.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the Big Ten's announcement is that the Sept. 12 game between Oregon and Ohio State, scheduled to be played in Eugene, Ore., will not take place. It was considered one of the top nonconference mathups of the season and a chance for the Pac-12 to gain some respect.

The Big Ten noted uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic led to its  decision.

"We are facing uncertain and unprecedented times, and the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes, coaches, game officials, and others associated with our sports programs and campuses remain our number one priority," the Big Ten said in a statement."... By limiting competition to other Big Ten institutions, the Conference will have the greatest flexibility to adjust its own operations throughout the season and make quick decisions in real-time based on the most current evolving medical advice and the fluid nature of the pandemic."

This announcement acknowledged that there is still no guarantee that football will be played this fall.

"As we continue to focus on how to play this season in a safe and responsible way, based on the best advice of medical experts, we are also prepared not to play in order to ensure the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes should the circumstances so dictate," the Big Ten statement said.

The Big Ten is the first of the Power 5 conferences to make this type of a major change to its fall sports. The Ivy League on Wednesday announced that no sports in its conference will be played in the fall.

Eliminating nonconference games will save on long-distance travel costs and ensure that all the teams are playing under the same rules as far as coronavirus testing, restrictions and information sharing.

Other sports affected include men's and women's cross country, field hockey, men's and women's soccer and women's volleyball. But, of course, football, is the big one, because it generates so much of the athletic department's revenue.

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Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

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