Pac-12 football schedule changes: USC vs. Alabama opener among scrapped nonconference matchups

A meeting of two all-time greats will be wiped out by Friday's decision from the Pac-12

By David Cobb

Jul 10, 2020 at 7:55 pm ET • 1 min read

NCAA Football: Alabama vs Southern California

USATSI

The Pac-12's decision to play a conference-only football schedule in 2020 on Friday will wipe several marquee nonconference games from this year's college football slate. Among the casualties is the much-anticipated USC vs. Alabama game that was scheduled for Sept. 5 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Alabama leads the all-time series 6-2 and won the last meeting in Arlington 52-6 back in 2016. This year's meeting was among the most anticipated nonconference games on the 2020 schedule with the Trojans returning star quarterback Kedon Slovis and registering as a potential preseason favorite to win the Pac-12 South.

The SEC itself has made no announcement yet about whether it will follow the lead of the Big Ten and Pac-12 and move to a league-only slate. But Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne released a statement Friday addressing the loss of the USC game from the Crimson Tide's schedule.

"As I've said before, USC AD Mike Bohn and I had multiple conversations over the last several months, and we were both planning on playing the football game on September 5 in Arlington," Byrne said. "With the Pac-12's decision to move to a conference-only schedule, we will do our best to adjust. What that looks like is to be determined."

Below is the full list of nonconference games wiped out by the Pac-12's decision to move to conference-only scheduling on Friday.

*Game was already canceled by Big Ten's move to a conference-only schedule.

Oregon

Sept. 5 vs. North Dakota State

Sept. 12 vs. Ohio State*

Sept. 19 vs. Hawaii

USC

Sept. 5 vs. Alabama (in Arlington, Texas)

Sept. 12 vs. New Mexico

Nov. 28 vs. Notre Dame

Washington

Sept. 5 vs. Michigan*