LOS ANGELES (CNS)—A pandemic-shortened 2020 football schedule for the University of Southern California (USC) was announced Oct. 3, featuring seven games against Pac-12 conference opponents.
The Trojans will play all five of the other schools in the South Division, including a Nov. 7 home game against Arizona State to kick off the season.
That game will start at 9 a.m.—the earliest kickoff time for a Trojans home game since at least the early 1950s, when complete records are available. A home contest against Loyola in the 1891 season began at 9:30 a.m.
The Trojans will host Washington State, a North Division foe, on Dec. 4, in a Friday night game at the Coliseum.
USC will battle its crosstown rival University of California–Los Angeles (UCLA) at the Rose Bowl on Dec. 12, tying the latest date that the teams have met (1942).
The Trojans’ other road games are against Arizona on Nov. 14 and Utah on Nov. 21.
On the week after the UCLA game, USC will either play in the Pac-12 Championship Game on Dec. 18 or play an opponent to be determined on Dec. 19.
The Pac-12’s title game “will take place in a home-hosted format,” Pac-12 officials said on Oct 3.
The game was originally scheduled for Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, near Las Vegas. Allegiant Stadium is still set to host next year’s Pac-12 Championship Game.
“The schedule announced today is highlighted by exciting and tough matchups that will showcase the depth of our conference and position our teams well for CFP (college football playoff) consideration and postseason bowl opportunities,” Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said.
“Importantly, our return to football competition will continue to place the health and safety of our student-athletes and all those connected to Pac-12 football as the highest priority.”
Fans will not be allowed at any Pac-12 sports competitions until at least 2021, the league has announced.
USC’s original 2020 schedule comprised 12 games that included non-conference foes Alabama, New Mexico, and Notre Dame.
In late July, the schedule was revised and shortened to 10 games versus conference-only opponents—kicking off on Sept. 26—to better deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Several weeks later, however, the Pac-12 postponed sports competitions until 2021 due to COVID-19 concerns.
In late September, the league resumed the football, basketball, and winter sports seasons based upon updated Pac-12 COVID-19 Medical Advisory Committee recommendations that took into account changes to testing capabilities, the prevalence of COVID-19 and cardiac issues, and updated state and local health official guidance.
The team’s complete football schedule is as follows:
—Nov. 7: Arizona State
—Nov. 14: at Arizona
—Nov. 21: at Utah
—Nov. 28: Colorado
—Dec. 4: Washington State
—Dec. 12: at UCLA
—Dec. 18/19: TBA, Pac-12 Championship Week
