Like the rest of the world, college football came to a grinding halt last month in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. While some states have slowly re-opened in an attempt to ease financial burdens, mass gatherings still don't appear to be on the horizon in the foreseeable future. That includes summer events such as annual media days in anticipation of the upcoming college football season.
On Wednesday, the Mountain West announced it was moving its media days, scheduled for July 16-17 in Los Angeles' new SoFi Stadium, to a virtual format. SoFi Stadium is also scheduled to host a new bowl game in December between the Mountain West's top team and a selection from the Pac-12 -- as long as the college football season isn't modified, that is.
"After discussions with our membership (schools), TV partners, members of the media and SoFi Stadium, The Mountain West will move its 2020 football media days scheduled for July 16-17 to a virtual program on a date to be determined," a statement from the conference read. "The new innovative format will provide the opportunity for the promotion of a broader range of student-athletes, while also allowing media to participate who otherwise could not have been able to attend the in-person event. The later virtual program date will also permit maximum flexibility for Moutain West football programs this summer."
This marks the first FBS conference to move its media days to a virtual format in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. As for the start of the season, college football decision-makers are still largely divided in deciding how the upcoming season should look -- or if it should be played at all. Intra-conference schedules and delayed starts are among the ideas being floated by ADs and university presidents around the country.
