The Pac-12 Conference has entered into an agreement with a diagnostic test company that it says will provide "up to daily testing" for student-athletes who play close-contact sports. 

The deal with Quidel Corportation, announced Thursday, is a major step toward the return of sports, the Pac-12 said, citing a lack of tests as one of the main reasons why it postponed all sports competition until Jan. 1. Other leagues, such as the Big 12, ACC and SEC, are scheduled to start playing football games later this month. 

Could football and basketball teams, among others, return before January? The Pac-12's sport planning committees will meet in the coming weeks "to evaluate the impact on return to competition scenarios," the league said in a news release. The Pac-12 added, however, that any return to competition is "subject to requisite approvals from public health officials."

Quidel will deliver its Sofia 2 testing machines to the conference's 12 schools by the end of the  month. 

“This is a major step toward the safe resumption of Pac-12 sport competitions,” said Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott. “The availability of a reliable test that can be administered daily, with almost immediate results, addresses one of the key concerns that was expressed by our medical advisory committee, as well as by student-athletes, coaches and others. At the same time, our partnership with Quidel, the industry leader in point-of-care antigen testing, will provide crucial research data that will benefit our members’ communities as well as the entire country.” 

Pac-12 officials announced the plan during an afternoon news conference. Some of the highlights are below: 

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