The monster year 2020 has swallowed up another conference.
On Tuesday, the Big Ten conference canceled its fall sports season, ending any hope for Penn State games in Beaver Stadium this autumn. The Pac 12 has followed suit, but things are less bleak for the ACC, the conference that Pitt belongs to.
A pair of articles on ESPN seemed to provide a semblance of optimism for that conference and a few others. Cameron Wolfe, the chair of the ACC’s medical advisory group, stated that he believes a college football season can be played safely.
In addition, the ACC and the SEC issued separate statements Tuesday that they have not changed their plans to play football this fall. And the Big 12 also appears on track to play.
Could Penn State football take the field in the spring?
In a statement Tuesday (shared via ABC’s Philadelphia affiliate), the Big Ten said it is evaluating a number of options for its canceled fall sports, including playing the games during the second semester, which would include parts of winter and spring.
So for Penn State and other Big Ten fans, the best-case scenario could be an unprecedented spring football season.
Futures wagers are still available on the ACC, SEC and Big 12
At the moment, Bet Rivers Sportsbook, PlaySugarHouse and DraftKings Sportsbook have taken down Big Ten betting for the fall. Futures wagers are still available — at least for now — on the ACC, SEC and Big 12.
And the ACC’s status gets a boost this season with Notre Dame only playing conference games this fall. Here’s a quick snapshot of the futures odds at BetRivers/PlaySugarHouse:
ACC futures odds:
- Clemson: -455
- Notre Dame: +600
- North Carolina: +800
- Miami: +1000
- Virginia Tech: +1800
- Florida State: +2800
- Pittsburgh: +3300
Big 12 futures odds:
- Oklahoma: -125
- Texas: +175
- Oklahoma State: +675
- Iowa State: +1000
- TCU: +1600
- West Virginia: +2500
- Baylor: +3300
SEC futures odds:
- Alabama: -143
- Georgia: +200
- LSU: +650
- Florida: +1200
- Texas A&M: +1400
- Auburn: +1600
- Kentucky/Tennessee: +1000
FanDuel Sportsbook also has futures available on the above conferences. And pricing is available on every conference team, so bettors may want to take a deeper look if they’re interested in longer odds.
There are also a few individual game lines posted. Oklahoma is a 14-point favorite in a game with Baylor on October 3. The Sooners are 2.5-point favorites in their Red River Rivalry game with Texas on October 10. And a Clemson/Notre Dame ACC showdown scheduled for November 7 has the Tigers as 7.5-point favorites.
Certainly, if the seasons proceed as scheduled, there will be more game lines available in the near future.
The NFL schedule might move to provide more Saturday football
College football fans who are dismayed by the recent conference decisions can perhaps gain some solace from the NFL. Pro football remains on a steadfast course to begin its season on September 10. And a CBS Sports article suggests that the NFL could move some of its games to Saturday to fill the gaping holes left by college football conferences.
It’s an intriguing idea that could help preserve at least some semblance of our fall weekend traditions.
And for those who enjoy betting on NFL games, the PA sportsbook offerings are more than plentiful. Bettors can find odds available on individual games, season win totals, player props and a whole host of futures.
So the Big Ten has canceled its football season. But the sport isn’t completely lost.
Other conferences still intend to play. And the NFL does too.
The monster year hasn’t killed all hope just yet.
