Pac-12 To ‘Take A Look’ At Allowing Non-Conference Games For Teams Impacted By Cancellations

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Before now, the Pac-12 Conference said they would not allow teams that had games canceled due to COVID-19 to schedule non-conference opponents.

This would allow teams that had games canceled because the opposing team didn’t have enough scholarship athletes available to play.

On Sunday evening, ESPN college football writer Kyle Bonagura spoke with Pac-12 Associate Commissioner for Football Operations, Merton Hanks about the possibility of allowing non-conference games.

“We’ll certainly take a look, I’d imagine,” Hanks told ESPN.

Merton Hanks, the Pac-12 assoc. commish for football ops, said he didn't want to get ahead of the conference on the potential for changing the rule to allow non-conference football games. But … "We’ll certainly take a look, I’d imagine," he said.

— Kyle Bonagura (@BonaguraESPN) November 16, 2020

In the first week of the season, Arizona was left without a game due to Utah having to cancel the game. Also, Washington was left without an opponent in Week 1 because of the COVID-19 situation at Cal.

Last week, the Pac-12 had two games canceled, including Utah/UCLA and Arizona State/Cal. Both Utah and Arizona State didn’t have enough players to field a team. The conference decided on Friday that UCLA and Cal could play each other in the Rose Bowl on Sunday morning.

Cal stayed at the same hotel that Utah was supposed to stay at in California. They even kept Utah’s same meal schedule.

A Cal staffer told ESPN’s Bonagura that “Utah eats well.”

So far this week, Colorado is without a game because of Arizona State needing to cancel the game.

CU coach Karl Dorrell said that he preferred to play a non-conference game on short notice than no game at all.

CU coach Karl Dorrell said he would prefer to play a non-conference game on short notice than no game at all. He told his team that is one possibility but nothing definitive on likelihood.

— Kyle Bonagura (@BonaguraESPN) November 16, 2020

Trevor Allen is a Utah Utes Insider for KSLSports.com and host of the Crimson Corner podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @TrevorASports. You can download and listen to the podcast, here.