NCAA Football: Purdue at Michigan State
USATSI

The Big Ten and the Pac-12 are among the growing number of college football conferences that have decided to cancel their fall 2020 seasons with hopes of playing in spring 2021. How that spring season might work, and how it impacts the return of college football in fall 2021, have not been determined. 

Among the many concerns for holding football in the spring are whether the country will be in a better shape then than it is now regarding the coronavirus pandemic, vaccines and therapeutics; how a spring season might work or conflict with the NFL Draft process; and perhaps most importantly, whether it's possible to hold two seasons in a calendar year given concerns about athletes' health.

Purdue coach Jeff Brohm has recognized some of these logistical concerns and spent time this week circulating his proposal for how a spring and fall season could work in 2021. He's got the details ironed out all the way to breaking down the hour requirements on training camp and practice allowances for the summer 2021 period, but there are also some big-picture suggestions that bring some clarity to the average fan on how this might all work. 

Spring 2021 (delayed 2020 season)

  • Eight-game regular season from Feb. 27-April 17
  • No bye weeks with a two-week preparation period before postseason 
  • Postseason held May 1-15 
  • Postseason Format A: Six-team playoff with Power Five champions and wildcard 
  • Postseason Format B: Big Ten championship followed by Rose Bowl or four-team playoff 

Offseason 2021 

  • No mandatory workouts for up to three months, summer period begins July 19
  • Four-week training camp begins Sept. 4

Fall 2021 

  • 10-game regular season from Oct. 2-Dec. 11 
  • One bye week per team
  • Postseason begins Jan. 1, 2022 

In response to concerns about the physical stress on players returning for a fall season after competing in the spring, Brohm has included very specific details for practice in the fall 2021 proposal. They include only one padded practice allowed per week during the season and following the 2021 season there will be no traditional spring practice for 2022, only 4-5 weeks with 20-hour limitations on workouts that may only consist of weight training and conditioning with nothing in pads. 

Check out the document below, shared on Twitter by ESPN's Adam Rittenberg: