Fresno State returning to football? Athletic conference to vote Thursday night

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- It appears there may be a chance that we see Fresno State football in 2020.

The Board of Directors of the Mountain West athletic conference, in which Fresno State plays, is set to vote Thursday night about a possible return to play for football next month.

While Joseph Castro was named Cal State's new chancellor on Wednesday, the former Fresno State president will still be the one voting for the Bulldogs.

"I've been one of the few presidents of Division I universities to not bring student-athletes back, but we do plan to do that now because we found a path that is safe for them and that's been the key ingredient in my opinion," Castro said on a Zoom call.

"I think that if conditions continue to improve, then we should be able to get that path successfully approved by the county, public health department and by the chancellor's office and move forward in that way. If it can be done safely, then we want to do it because

everyone here I know loves Bulldog athletics, including me, and I'm looking forward to the possibility of them being back."

Nine schools need to vote to approve the restart.

Back on August 10, the Mountain West Conference announced that its fall sports season, including football, would be canceled due to concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Currently in college football, the Big 12 and ACC have already played games. The SEC is set to begin play this weekend, and the Big Ten plans to start on Oct. 24.

The PAC 12, which has three California universities, is set to meet next week about a potential restart.