Pac-12 Commish: Aligning CFB Season with Big Ten 'Preferred but Not Necessary'

The Pac-12's hopes of holding a football season won't require the conference to align its schedule with the Big Ten. 

Appearing on ESPN's College Gameday (h/t Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde), Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said it was "preferred but not necessary" for the conference to align its football season with the Big Ten. 

"We think we can align," he added. "It may not work out, but it could open up some exciting postseason opportunities. .... Rose Bowl, other big bowl games..."

The Pac-12 followed the Big Ten as the only Power Five conferences to postpone all fall sports until at least Jan. 1 because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Even though Scott said Saturday the Pac-12 doesn't need to line up with the Big Ten, he told reporters earlier this week about conversations he's had with Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren:

"Obviously it's uncharted territory and we're just trying to put one foot in front of the other at a time and letting the data and the science drive our decisions. But I've said to Kevin, a high priority to the Pac-12 would be trying to align our seasons in a way, not only for our student-athletes could we have a Pac-12 Championship Game and champion but it'd be awesome to have some of the traditional postseason opportunities the Pac-12 and Big Ten have enjoyed with each other over many, many decades."

There has been speculation about the Big Ten potentially starting a football season in the fall, but CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd reported Thursday there was "no immediate plan" for the conference's school presidents to meet for a vote. 

One source told Dodd that the rumored Oct. 10 start date "ain't happening."

The Big Ten and Pac-12 are affiliated with the Rose Bowl, though the game opened to include teams from other conferences in 1998, when it was part of the Bowl Championship Series.

In years when the Rose Bowl doesn't host a College Football playoff semifinal, it will feature a matchup between the Big Ten and Pac-12 champions. 

The 2021 Rose Bowl is scheduled to host one of the College Football Playoff semifinal matchups on Jan. 1.