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Stanford has become the latest FBS team to opt-out of Bowl Season.
The program’s announcement indicates that the football team is tired of being on the road dealing with pandemic-related health orders:
Football student-athletes reported back to campus on July 1 to begin training for the 2020 season, which was postponed on Aug. 12 and reinstated on Sept. 24. The Cardinal began training camp on Oct. 9 at Woodside High School in San Mateo County before practices on campus started Oct. 14.
The Cardinal opened its season at Oregon on Nov. 7 before its only home game of the season on Nov. 14 vs. Colorado. After a game cancellation due to COVID-19 issues at Washington State, Stanford went on the road and defeated Cal in Big Game on Nov. 27.
The following day, the Santa Clara County Public Health Department announced a new emergency directive that prohibited training and competition inside the county.
Stanford departed for the Seattle area on Tuesday, Dec. 1 to prepare for its road game at Washington on Dec. 5. Following that game, the program relocated on Sunday, Dec. 6 and spent the week in Corvallis, Ore. preparing for its game at Oregon State, a contest that was originally scheduled for Stanford Stadium.
Stanford will end its football season on Saturday against UCLA.
Teams from the SEC and Pac-12 are set to meet in the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 31, a late addition to the SEC bowl lineup after the conference’s other game against the Pac-12, the Las Vegas Bowl, was canceled this year.
Two ACC teams, Boston College and Pitt, have also opted out of Bowl Season. Due to the unusual circumstances of the 2020 season, the NCAA waived postseason-eligibility requirements for Bowl Season.
Saturday Down South reports and comments on the news around the Southeastern Conference as well as larger college football topics.
