A BYU vs Alabama Matchup Would Mean the Start of Fall Practices for BYU

BYU can't start practicing until six weeks prior to their first game.

Reports have surfaced that BYU could face Alabama in the first week of the season. Alabama was scheduled to play USC before the PAC-12 decided to play a conference-only schedule. AL.com was the first to break the news. We'll have a few weeks to dissect a BYU vs Alabama matchup - facing Alabama is a tall task for even the best programs in the country. In the near term, however, a BYU vs Alabama announcement would mean the start of fall practices for BYU. 

Last month, Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger outlined the NCAA protocols when teams return to practice. There would be a six week period of fall practice. The six weeks would be broken up into two phases: "enhanced" summer training and preseason training. "Enhanced" summer training would be a two-week period where "athletes are allowed 20 hours a week for activities. That includes eight hours of strength training and film review, an hour walk-through practice each day and an hour of daily team meetings. Enhanced training has been compared to NFL OTAs, but players cannot wear helmets or pads during walk-throughs."

However, practices can't start until you are six weeks away from your first game. Since BYU's first four games were cancelled, BYU was forced to postpone fall practices until six weeks prior to the Utah State game. If BYU and Alabama are able to finalize a game on September 5th, BYU would be able to begin fall practices immediately. 

Before their scheduled matchup against Utah was cancelled, BYU was scheduled to begin fall practices on July 21. 

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