The NCAA announced on Thursday that college football bowl games can commence this season on December 1.
In the past, teams needed to have a 6-6 (.500) record at a minimum in order to qualify for a bowl game. But with most teams playing a truncated schedule, the NCAA is lifting its minimum requirement to qualify for bowl games.
The news comes as the Pac-12 announced that it will begin play Nov. 6. The announcement means all five of the so-called “power 5” conferences will attempt to play a college football season amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Big 10 and Pac-12 originally decided to postpone starting the season. Advances in rapid testing and public pressure caused the leagues to change their decisions.
“Providing a more flexible framework for the postseason in this unprecedented time will provide some certainty moving forward,” said Shane Lyons, director of athletics at West Virginia and chair of the oversight committee. “These are important postseason opportunities for our student-athletes, and this will help everyone to prepare.”
