What’s Bruin, 8/11: Pac-12 cancellation news

We all know what’s happening by now. We’ve been dealing with the coronavirus since March after all.

Yet, here we are, August 11th and the NCAA has shown little to no leadership on the subject and they’ve certainly not made it easy on any conferences across the nation on what to do about the fall athletics calendars. The MAC has cancelled their football season. The Mountain West has followed suit.

The University of Connecticut has cancelled their season and Old Dominion followed them as well.

The Pac-12 is scheduled to meet on Tuesday about the fate of the conference regarding the playing of the 2020 fall seasons or not. What they decide will ultimately have a ripple effect on winter, spring and summer sports as well. Do they decide to postpone the seasons until a later date? Perhaps in spring, and then if so, what do they do about the start dates of the winter and spring sports? What about the facilities needed for all fall sports to be played?

Then there’s academic issues. And there’s eligibility problems. There are scholarship limits that the NCAA imposes, and though they’ve shown zero leadership, you can bet on them enforcing some silly bylaws that would ultimately cause a problem with any decision that is made by the conference.

Do players lose their eligibility even though there is no season? Can they transfer away without penalty? What about the incoming freshman, do they have a scholarship still, even if the current roster retains their eligibility?

There are way too many questions, and that’s not even what the conference is looking at on Tuesday, though those questions are certainly swirling in the backs of their minds.

And those questions are even more important than the actual decision they’re set to make. That’s what will separate the Pac-12 from the rest of the Power 5 conferences, in a good way, or a bad.

But, in other news, here’s what is happening across the nation, pertaining to your UCLA Bruins:

UCLA’s Martin Jarmond tries to overcome a terrible loss | LA Times

UCLA football coach Chip Kelly had wife had COVID-19 | LA Daily News

Two UCLA football players appear on CNN | 247Sports

UCLA pledge Charitie Luper won’t play volleyball for defending state champ Byron Nelson her senior year | The Dallas Morning News

UCLA makes CBS Sports Preseason Top 25 and 1 | 247Sports

UCLA and USC closer to practicing with release of state guidelines | LA Times

Darren Savino named one of the Pac-12’s top assistant coaches | 247Sports