HEADLINE

Report: Alabama, TCU talk provisional plan for Sept. 5

Field Level Media

May 14, 2020 at 8:29 pm.

Alabama and USC are scheduled to open the season Sept. 5 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. TCU is scheduled to play at California the same day.

With restrictions related to the coronavirus differing by state and stringent measures remaining in place in California, Alabama and TCU are discussing a provisional plan to play each other to start the 2020 season, according to ESPN’s Paul Finebaum.

“Alabama plays Southern Cal in the first game of the season at Jerry’s World — there’s already talk going on between Alabama and TCU about meeting instead of the other two, because TCU plays at Berkeley, and the California schools, they do not believe, will be available for that date,” Finebaum said.

But Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne told the Tuscaloosa News that the Crimson Tide are not changing any plans.

“Our plan is to play USC,” Byrne told the newspaper.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he doesn’t expect games to be played with fans in stadiums in August and September. Multiple elected officials in California have said live sports are unlikely until the fall, but when exactly those games could take place is unclear. California State University will hold only online classes for the fall, while Los Angeles remains under a shelter-in-place order through July.

USC coach Clay Helton didn’t deny reports that the Pac-12 was considering abbreviating the conference schedule.