Wider context

29% of the US population (55 and older) is the highest risk for the most severe COVID result. They have experienced 93% of the deaths, with the increasingly higher age demographics having increasingly larger percentages (55-64 = 12%, 65-74 = 21%, 75-84 = 27%, 85+ = 33%). If the highest risk of the university population also represent the smallest percentage on campus, then it seems reasonable that one could devise some common sense practices to protect those demographics - social distancing, protective equipment, no in-office visits, etc. It seems pretty easy to keep 10-15 foot separation between students and any administrators or instructors that fall in the at-risk groups or have comorbidities.

Again, all or nothing and one size fits all approaches are not good policy. Students don't need to be held hostage, and it can be done with safety and common sense.

Whether there needs to be intercollegiate games is a separate matter that should be considered separately based upon entirely different risks and mitigation approaches. Extracurricular activities are certainly not critical to the mission of a university, and they aren't critical to successfully earning a degree.

Edit to avoid going too far off-topic: the PAC 12 commissioner was addressing athletes because his the commissioner of PAC 12 athletics. It seems reasonable for him to stay in scope, and his statement is fairly common sense if one looks at the wider context.