Pac-12 returns to pre-COVID policy, at-fault teams will forfeit games
Even as COVID-19 cases spike, the Conference of Champions is pushing for a return to normal.
The Pac-12 announced a return to its pre-pandemic forfeiture policies Thursday morning. Unlike last academic year, when teams struggling with coronavirus outbreaks were allowed to reschedule games or declare no contests, any team unable to play a game due to its own fault with have to forfeit said game.
Ultimately, whether or not a team is at fault will be decided by commissioner George Kliavkoff, and there was no mention of how vaccines and breakthrough cases would play a part in a team's liability.
Following consultation with the Pac-12 Athletic Directors Committee, the Pac-12 has determined that its prior longstanding game forfeiture rule (set forth in 2021-22 Pac-12 Administrative Policies referenced below), that was temporarily modified for this past season due to Covid-19, shall once again be applied for this coming athletic season. In accordance with that rule, if an institution is unable to play a contest through its own fault, it shall forfeit such contest to its opponent. Any forfeited contest shall be regarded as a conference loss for the team making the forfeit and a conference win for its opponent. The Pac-12 rule provides the Commissioner with discretion to determine whether an institution is at fault or primarily at fault for an inability to play a contest based on the facts of the situation.
As part of its statement, the Pac-12 also released the section of its handbook that details the timeline and decision making surrounding Unusual Circumstances.
UCLA football had one game called off because of COVID-19 in 2020, a Saturday matchup against Utah, due to its opponent's internal outbreak. Because of the way the schedule was structured, the Bruins were able to schedule a last-second game with California for that Sunday and still play their full seven-game slate. UCLA men's basketball went the entirety of the 2020-2021 season without a positive COVID-19 test, but positive cases in Oregon and Long Beach State's programs majorly reshuffled the Bruins' schedule and potentially cost them regular season wins.
UCLA Athletics stopped providing the media with weekly COVID testing reports on June 11 following the end of UCLA baseball's season. Coach Chip Kelly said Wednesday his team is doing weekly testing instead of daily, so it remains to be seen if those numbers will be reported given the Pac-12's return to the pre-pandemic policy.
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