CA Gov. Gavin Newsom: COVID Guidelines Don't Stop Pac-12 Football from Playing

California Governor Gavin Newsom suggested Wednesday that the state's guidelines aren't preventing the Pac-12 conference from holding a football season.  

There are specific guidelines that would make it difficult, however, as Ryan Young of Rivals noted:

Specifically, Newsom said he would work with Pac-12 officials on the guidelines that do not permit players from gathering in groups larger than 12, per Kevin Wade of 247Sports. 

"Our universities in California and Oregon do not have approval from state or local public health officials to start contact practice," Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said earlier Wednesday. "We are hopeful that our new daily testing capability can help satisfy public health official approvals in California and Oregon to begin contact practice and competition."

Scott offered a more optimistic message about a return to play later in the day, however:

Newsom also said he would work with the conference on testing concerns. 

"I look forward to working as we have been in a constructive dialogue w/ the Pac-12 and NCAA on testing issues..." he said, per Young. "And as it relates to cohorting, we are certainly willing to engage and have now engaged the Pac-12 in that discussion."

The comments come on the same day that the Big Ten voted to begin its season on the weekend of Oct. 24 after being one of the two Power 5 conferences to postpone fall sports. The conference will try to squeeze eight football games per team into eight weeks before holding the Big Ten championship on Dec. 19, allowing their teams the chance to earn a berth in the College Football Playoff, which will select its teams on Dec. 20. 

"Great news today," head coach Jim Harbaugh said Wednesday in a statement, per Adam Rittenberg and Heather Dinich of ESPN. "Over the past month, I could sense the anticipation from our players and coaches, and I'm thrilled on their behalf that they will have a chance to play a 2020 season. Stay positive. Test negative. Let's play football."

It remains to be seen if the Pac-12 will follow suit.