The Pac-12’s season will embody every group taking half in five divisional games plus one cross-division recreation before the conference championship game on December 18 – with the remaining groups not within the title recreation having a bonus cross-division game. The league additionally introduced that winter sports activities could be allowed to start before January 1, one other reversal of an earlier choice and allowing its men’s and women’s basketball groups to participate in early-season tournaments. Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden adjusts his protecting masks along the sideline in the second half of an NFL football recreation towards the New England Patriots. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)This 12 months, teams are dealing with players lacking games for causes apart from injuries. The COVID-19 protocols enforced by the league haven’t solely made positive that players who’ve tested optimistic miss games but additionally probably those who come into close contact with a optimistic participant or individual away from the group services. And as instances spike throughout the country, what initially of the season — a player testing positive — would send shudders throughout the league is now turning into slowly more accepted.
Rodeo: Wrangler National Finals Go Away Las Vegas For Texas
Virginia’s situation is more perilous; the staff wouldn’t depart Charlottesville for Indianapolis until its gamers and workers are out of quarantine after a optimistic test in the course of the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina. The deadline for a staff to tug out of the occasion passed Tuesday afternoon, locking the sector forward of Thursday’s First Four. The NCAA did not get a completely clear first set of exams for those entering the managed surroundings — 5 positives exhibiting up out of two,300 tests — though no teams might be affected. If a group that received an at-large bid after Tuesday has an outbreak and withdraws, its scheduled opponent will advance.