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After a momentous day of progress Wednesday in addressing existing obstacles with state and county public health authorities, the Pac-12 looks to be on track toward launching a belated fall season, with the conference's CEOs set to meet Friday.
In addition to the requisite vote on a restart, they'll have to obviously quickly settle on timelines and scheduling scenarios.
Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott has long talked about needing a six-week ramp-up to the start of a season to have players properly physical prepared, while USC coach Clay Helton said last week his team would need a minimum of four weeks.
While no official decision has come yet, certainly all the behind-the-scenes efforts Wednesday were for the purpose of getting a season on track sooner rather than later, so working off the assumption that an announcement is not far away about the Pac-12's return to play, let's look at what a conference schedule could and should look like.
Essentially, the Pac-12 must work backwards in putting a plan together.
The College Football Playoff selection committee announced a few weeks ago its adjusted schedule, with the final rankings to be announced on Dec. 20 and the CFP semifinals slated for Jan. 1.
That's why the other Power 5 conferences have all set their championship games for that Dec. 19 weekend or earlier.
The ACC, with Notre Dame, began play on an 11-game schedule (including one non-conference game) on Sept. 12, with their title game set for either Dec. 12 or Dec. 19.
The Big 12 also began play last weekend on a 10-game schedule, including one early non-conference game with conference play starting Sept. 26 and the league's championship game set for Dec. 12.