Two conferences reverse forfeit policy amid COVID-19 resurgence

An interesting rule has been reversed by two conferences on Tuesday. According to Matt Norlander of CBS Sports, the Big 12 and Big West conference are reversing their forfeit policies due to the resurgence of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

“News: Two leagues reversed their forfeit policies on Tuesday,” tweeted Norlander. “Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby tells CBS Sports (as Ross Dellenger first reported) the Big 12 will no longer have forfeits. Big West commissioner Dan Butterly also told CBS Sports his league’s ADs reversed the rule.”

Moreover, Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated first reported the rule change was taking place. He elaborated on what it means for the conference.

“The Big 12 is finalizing plans to restore its policy deeming COVID-impacted league games ‘no-contests,’ sources tell SINow,” tweeted Dellenger on Tuesday. “Would eliminate forfeits. If a team doesn’t have available 6 scholarship players & 1 coach, game would be no-contest or the teams will work to reschedule.”

The Big 12 and Big West are the first to do it, but other conferences could soon follow suit. With the amount of cases surging throughout the country, it’s paramount to get through this stretch and not be penalized for outside factors. If a game can be rescheduled, there’s no sense in not giving the fans what they want.

Over recent weeks, some huge showdowns were postponed due to rising cases. For example, the famed game between Louisville and Kentucky isn’t being played for the first time since the 1980’s due to the rising cases. Elsewhere, programs like Ohio State, Syracuse and USC have been forced to pause their operations.

Time will tell what other conferences decide to do — but it wouldn’t be surprising to watch them follow suit.

Alabama coach calling for change in college basketball COVID-19 protocols

Furthermore, Alabama coach Nate Oats is among the coaches calling for change. He argued things are different than last year, when teams had to be ready with contingency plans at a moment’s notice.

“Things have changed,” Oats said, via AL.com’s Mike Rodak. “Vaccinations have come. If people — obviously you’re still able to get it, being vaccinated. But when you get it, how contagious — I’m not a doctor — but some of this, reading what the NFL is changing, their policies are, we may need to look. I mean, things changed.”

Oats went on to further address the vaccination rate across the sport — and outside the sport, for that matter — as reasons to change protocols from last year, when the vaccines weren’t as widely available.

“Now that a great percentage of people are vaccinated, you may want to do something different rather than what you did before so many were vaccinated,” Oats said. “We want to keep everybody safe, we want to keep the virus down as much as you can, but I think you got to play these games, too, as much as possible.

“Life’s got to move on in as normal of a fashion as you can, whether it’s college basketball or just life in general. The economy’s got to move, people need to work, people need to do things.”