Pac-12 players ask governors, conference for chance to play

Pac-12 football players are coming together to ask the conference and various governors to allow them to play this fall.

USC quarterback Kedon Slovis and receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown were among the first to take to Twitter and address California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

"The current reality is that there are too many restrictions imposed by state and local health officials in California that prevent us from resuming practice and competitions," the letter states.

Members of Utah and Oregon's football teams also requested that athletes have the choice to participate in a season. Oregon wide receiver Mycah Pittman and Utah's Jake Bentley were among those who tweeted their desire to play.

The Pac-12 was one of two major conferences - along with the Big Ten - that opted to postpone its fall football season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a recent partnership with Quidel Corporation that will allow the conference to administer rapid, daily testing for COVID-19 could change that.

The conference's "most aggressive" return date is mid-to-late November, sources told ESPN's Heather Dinich.

"At this time, our universities in California and Oregon do not have approval from state or local public health officials to start contact practice," commissioner Larry Scott said Wednesday after the Big Ten finalized its long-awaited return, according to ESPN's Kyle Bonagura. "We are hopeful that our new daily testing capability can help satisfy public health official approvals in California and Oregon to begin contact practice and competition."

Scott added that the Pac-12 is also monitoring air quality issues that have arisen in parts of the west coast following recent wildfires.