Deadline to set early season game times extended; McGregor retires; Bengals cancel camps
Boise State football fans will have to wait a little longer to find out when they’ll be able to catch the Broncos in action this fall.
On Tuesday, the Mountain West was included in a joint statement with other FBS conferences, CBS, Fox, ESPN and their affiliates, which announced the extension of the deadline to set kickoff times for early season games beyond June 1.
“Collectively, the conferences and television networks have agreed to an extension for determining college football’s early season game times beyond the standard June 1 deadline,” the statement reads. “These kickoff times and network designations will be announced at a later date as we all continue to prepare for the college football season.”
In January, the Mountain West signed a new television rights deal with CBS and Fox, ending a long relationship with ESPN, which included Boise State football appearing on an ESPN-affiliated channel 119 times since 1999.
Last season, nine of Boise State’s games were aired on an ESPN affiliate, including the Broncos’ 31-10 win over Hawaii in the Mountain West championship game. The Broncos are scheduled to open the 2020 season at home on Sept. 5 against Georgia Southern.
On May 20, the NCAA voted to end its moratorium on athletic related activities and allow athletes to begin returning to campus on June 1 for voluntary workouts.
The Boise State football team has not announced when its players will return, but on May 21, coach Bryan Harsin said that those plans are currently being formulated.
McGregor retires
Boise State gymnast Courtney McGregor announced Tuesday morning on Twitter that she will not return to Boise State this fall, effectively ending her collegiate gymnastics career.
The NCAA voted March 30 to allow universities to extend an additional year of eligibility to spring athletes whose seasons were canceled due to the coronavirus. McGregor said the uncertainty caused by the virus played a major role in her decision.
“Under normal circumstances, I would have returned to the U.S. for a redshirt year. However, I do not need another year of education, so I’d admittedly only be coming back for the gymnastics season, which isn’t guaranteed at this point due to COVID-19,” the Christchurch, New Zealand, native said.
McGregor was a three-time first-team All-Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference selection and the 2019 all-around conference champion. Her senior season ended prematurely in January when she suffered a ruptured left Achilles tendon on her first vault of the season.
“One messy, frustrating senior year was bearable, but the idea of two in a row is not extremely appealing,” McGregor said.
Her injury also took her out of contention for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, which has been postponed to sometime in 2021. McGregor, who competed in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, also addressed her future on the international stage in Tuesday’s Tweet.
“The Olympic games are also uncertain. And as an athlete, I feel it is impossible to commit to the high level of training required to qualify and compete in Tokyo without the reassurance things will go ahead as planned,” she said. “Consequently, I have decided it is time to conclude my gymnastics career.”
McGregor plans to continue pursuing a medical degree in early 2021.
Bengals cancel summer camps
Idaho State announced Tuesday that due to the coronavirus, several football camps scheduled for this summer have been canceled.
The following camps have been canceled: Bengal Ballers (June 1-2), 8-Man 2A/3A (June 3-6), 11-Man camp (June 8-11) and Idaho Falls Bengal Ballers (June 12).
Idaho State is still planning to hold its individual skills camp on June 25. Last season, the Bengals went 3-9 and 2-6 in the Big Sky Conference. They’re scheduled to open the 2020 season Aug. 29 at New Mexico.
This story was originally published May 26, 2020 at 2:04 PM.
