The college football landscape is undergoing a transformation during the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. After players willed their power in various movements spanning both the Big Ten and Pac-12, it’s no surprise these were the first two conferences to make definitive decisions regarding the upcoming college football season.
First, the Big Ten announced Tuesday it was postponing all fall sports to the spring season, citing “ongoing health and safety concerns” regarding the coronavirus. The Pac-12 followed with its announcement to cancel all sports through the calendar year—which includes part of the conference’s winter basketball schedule—later that day, and we should now expect a domino effect across the NCAA.
As COVID-19 continues to be unpredictable in its myriad of ways, it’s unclear whether we will even get a football season in the spring. Regardless of when, or if, a season is played, it will have a ripple effect on the pre-NFL draft schedule as we know it. The 2021 NFL Draft is currently scheduled to begin April 29 but can be pushed back to June 2, at the latest.
Schools have already announced plans in place, including Ohio State, which said in its release that all college athletes on scholarship will “remain on scholarship” and COVID-19 testing, as well as quarantine and isolation protocols, will stay in place, among other things. The Pac-12 also stated its scholarships will remain intact and athletes will continue to “have university support.”
After a number of college football players have already opted-out of any potential season, the Pac-12 strongly encouraged the NCAA to “grant students who opt out of competition this academic year an additional year of eligibility.” Most of the players who have opted out are focusing their efforts on the 2021 NFL Draft. Here are five within the Pac-12 that would benefit by declaring for the draft.
Filed In
Related Articles
NFL Draft
Arik Gilbert Doesn’t Need Big Workload To Be A Top NFL Draft Pick
- Aug 22, 2022
NFL Draft
2023 NFL Mock Draft: Marino 1.0
- Aug 22, 2022
Written By