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Mountain West Conference Reportedly Considers Shortened Football Season

SAN JOSE (CBS SF) – The Mountain West Conference, which includes San Jose State University, is reportedly considering a shortened football season that could begin next month.

Conference sources told CBS Sports that the league's presidents would meet on Friday and at least consider voting on whether to move forward with playing the season. The conference is reportedly aiming for an eight-game schedule starting October 24th, with a league championship on December 19th.

A return to play plan would not be approved until a COVID-19 testing protocol, which still needs to be finalized by the league's medical advisory board, is approved. The protocol includes testing three times a week, sources said.

CBS Sports has also learned that it is uncertain if all 12 schools would be able to proceed together due to health restrictions impacting the conference's three schools in California, including SJSU, Fresno State and San Diego state.

"I don't think everybody has an illusion everybody is going to play the same amount of games," one Mountain West source told CBS Sports.

A possible return to play for the Mountain West comes a week after the Big Ten conference announced the football season would happen after all, with a season starting in late October.

The Mountain West's board of directors suspended all fall sports due to the coronavirus pandemic, including football, on August 10th.

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