ATLANTA, Ga. (LEX 18) — The Atlantic Sun Conference has postponed fall semester sports, suspending the debut of Louisville’s Bellarmine University as a member of the conference.
The ASUN Presidents’ Council made the announcement Wednesday due to ongoing concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Obviously this is a huge disappointment," said ASUN Commissioner Ted Gumbart. "Anyone who follows college sports understands the dynamics that brought us to this decision, but that doesn't mean we like it. My feelings right now? COVID stinks. If you weren't putting my words into a public release, I might put it another way."
The postponement of competition in conference-sponsored fall semester sports includes men's and women's cross-country, men's and women's soccer, and volleyball. The Presidents' Council decision on no fall competition will also apply to intercollegiate competition for any ASUN sponsored sports that have a designated spring championship.
The ASUN said it will now prioritize having a spring sports season.
"We will make every effort to provide a quality competitive experience for our fall student-athletes during the spring semester," Gumbart said. "We're not in the position today to guarantee it will happen, but we can promise to make every effort to get there. We owe that to our student-athletes, our athletic departments and our institutions. Lastly, I'll share that I'm very proud of the way the entire ASUN family participated in the discussions over the past few months, including our students, athletic staff, administrators and presidents."
The ASUN said teams may continue practicing as long as they are in accordance with NCAA, local and state guidelines.
