ASU Basketball: Don't Rule Out Basketball In 2020 Just Yet

Pac-12 could see basketball being played in 2020..

When the Pac-12 decided to push basketball along with other fall sports into the new calendar year, it caught many AD's and coaches off-guard.

The Pac-12 and Ivy League were the only conferences to postpone their basketball season's - leaving them in a gray area.

But now there is a growing possibility that the Pac-12 could reverse their decision, first reported by Bay Area News Group.

Before any basketball returns, the conference wants to see evidence that community spread of Covid-19 is low and trending in the right direction. Access to same-day testing for players is another must. They want to ensure the athletes can be tested within 24 hours of game time in-case a player is asymptomatic.

The good news is the latest reports are showing a positive reduction in the rates of community spread. The bad news - the conference currently does not have access to same-day testing.

The current PCR tests are great for their accuracy, but their current turnaround time of 24 to 36 hours is not quick enough. There is hope of potentially more same-day testing becoming readily available by November or December.

The Pac-12 will not decide whether to reverse their controversial decision until the NCAA stakeholders vote for and announce a decision of an expected start date for college basketball. That vote is expected to take place on Sept. 16, according to CBS.

There are currently four potential start dates for the basketball season outlined by CBS Sports - Nov. 10, Nov. 20, Nov. 25, and Dec. 4. The later the expected start date, the more willing the Pac-12 is of re-evaluating and ultimately reversing their decision.

Until a call has been made, the Pac-12 is cautiously moving forward with a plan to start their season in January. If the conference decided to stand pat with their original stance, the NCAA could be forced to start the season without them - meaning the Pac-12 could potentially lose all of its non-conference games.

Even with the skepticism, the current feeling from coaches and ADs from around the conference is they want to play this year, as long as it's safe.

One coach told CBS Sports, "I would be surprised if our start date is Jan. 1 based on all of the factors. Each of our campuses knows more now than they did then."