RICHMOND, Ky. — The Ohio Valley Conference announced on Friday the postponement of fall sports which included football, men’s and women’s cross country, women’s soccer and women’s volleyball.
The league did say OVC football-playing institutions that are able to demonstrate a team’s willingness and readiness to compete based on the NCAA’s Resocialization of Collegiate Sport: Developing Standards for Practice and Competition and the NCAA’s mental health guidance are approved to play up to four nonconference scheduled games.
The plans to play scheduled winter and spring sports remains unaffected at this time.
After the announcement EKU Athletics Director Matt Roan released a statement:
“These are unprecedented times without a roadmap to help navigate. My heart breaks for our student-athletes who will not have the opportunity to compete this fall, and who continue to live daily with uncertainty surrounding their competitive seasons in this academic year. Our job remains to provide support to THEM in every facet of their student-athlete experience!
The Ohio Valley Conference decision to postpone fall sports is one that we respect. Having confidence in our ability to effectively support and provide championship opportunities for student-athletes makes the plan to move volleyball and soccer to the spring a viable one. Moving cross country to the spring in direct conflict with indoor and outdoor track & field is not practical, but we look forward to a successful spring. We are disappointed that our men’s and women’s golf, softball and baseball student-athletes cannot compete as teams this fall, but we also look forward to watching them compete for championships in the spring.
Due to logistical, organizational, and other concerns related to a potential spring football season, EKU is continuing to explore all options to play football in the fall.
With each of these decisions, the wants and desires of our student-athletes and their safety, health and well-being are supreme in terms of our decision-making factors. We believe our protocol, which includes regular testing and other medical measures, allows us this opportunity and provides a protective environment for not just our student-athletes, but our coaches, staff, supporters and campus community.
We have been very deliberate in our approach since March. We’ve learned along the way and will continue to learn every day. Our safety protocols are strong. When the time is right, the Colonels will be ready to play!
I want to thank our student-athletes, coaches and fans for their support and patience.
