With last week’s announcement by Gov. Kate Brown that large gatherings such as sporting events need to be canceled or modified through September, college sports in Oregon remain on hold.
Spring sports were called off in March, as states around the country enacted restrictions, and there’s little doubt that this fall’s athletics events will also need to be modified to comply with social distancing guidelines.
In a media call this week, Oregon State head football coach Jonathan Smith said it’s disappointing to think about how the coming year’s season will be affected, but he realizes the priority is to keep everyone safe.
He said, “I’m just confident that we’re going to do what is best, for not just Oregonians, but the Pac-12 Conference as we get to a point where we are making decisions on what September, October, and November will look like.”
This week, Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said he doesn’t believe college football will be played if students can’t return to campus. Oregon State and University of Oregon are currently planning to have students back on campus for the Fall term, but those plans are tentative.
Meanwhile, local college teams are holding virtual meetings, watching film of old games, and trying to stay connected and ready for the possibility of returning to play.
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