The coronavirus and college sports: NCAA reopening plans, latest news, program cuts, more

The coronavirus pandemic continues to rattle the college sports landscape, leaving many questions unanswered.

But before a new normal can begin to take shape, colleges and universities will have to find a safe way to reopen campuses. Complex, high-stakes public health issues need to be dealt with before there is a good sense of what college sports will look like.

Here is the latest news and updates from the college sports world.

Jump to: Latest news | What will football look like? | What about the CFP? | Program, financial cuts

Latest news: MAC becomes first FBS conference to postpone season

Saturday, Aug. 8: The Mid-American Conference became the first FBS conference to postpone its fall football season. A spring season is now possible for the MAC but no decision has been made.

Oklahoma pausing practice: Oklahoma is pausing football practice for a week after a change in its schedule. Sooners coach Lincoln Riley announced Saturday night that the team’s training camp — which began July 31 — will stop temporarily as a result of its Aug. 29 season opener vs. Missouri State being moved to September.

Friday, Aug. 7: The SEC will require two tests per week and coaches will be required to wear a face mask or neck gaiter on the sideline at all times during games, the conference announced Friday as part of its initial medical protocols.

Six Maryland players opting out: Six Maryland players are opting out for this season because of COVID-19 concerns, including quarterback Josh Jackson and offensive linemen Austin Fontaine and Johnny Jordan, coach Mike Locksley told reporters on Friday.

Ohio State players back schools safety measure: Ohio State athletes released a statement Friday expressing their satisfaction and level of comfort with the way the university has handled their safety and well-being.

Big Sky planning for football games in spring, sources say: The Big Sky Conference is moving forward with plans to play an eight-game conference schedule in the spring due to conditions from the coronavirus pandemic, multiple sources confirmed to ESPN, a move that would likely result in the cancellation of the 2020 FCS playoffs.

FCS postpones playoffs: The FCS announced that it will not be holding playoffs this fall despite some teams aiming to play a regular season. The subdivision has fallen short of the 50% team participation required for the playoffs. The FCS may also move its season to the spring of 2021.

MVC moves to a spring season: The Missouri Valley Conference opted to move its football season to the spring due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The news came on the heels of the FCS postponement of the playoffs this fall.

Thursday, Aug. 6: The ACC released its full football schedule on Thursday, with Notre Dame hosting Duke in Week 1 on Sept. 12 in a unique setup that will feature the Irish playing a league slate for the first time.

Louisville soccer dismisses 3, suspends 3 others: Three Louisville soccer players have been dismissed from the program and three others have been suspended after the school found they held a party last week that resulted in 29 positive tests for COVID-19 and required four other programs to temporarily suspend workouts.

MWC players outline conditions for safety: Football players from the Mountain West Conference on Thursday became the latest group, joining Pac-12 and Big Ten groups, to unite and publicize a list of conditions to ensure their health and safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wednesday, Aug. 5: UConn, which last month officially left the American Athletic Conference, announced Wednesday that it’s suspending its football program for the 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Big Ten to start 10-game conference slate on Sept. 3: The Big Ten will play a 10-game, conference-only schedule that begins Labor Day weekend and includes ample flexibility, the league announced Wednesday morning.

Big Ten players form unity group to address concerns: Football players from the Big Ten on Wednesday joined Pac-12 players in publishing a list of demands related to their safety during the coronavirus pandemic, along with what they called other platforms for change.

MWC schedule includes 8 conference games: The Mountain West announced plans to have its football teams play an eight-game conference schedule and up to two nonconference games, starting Sept. 26.

AAC approves 8+4 schedule for 2020: The American Athletic Conference approved an eight-game conference schedule with the ability to play up to four nonconference games, a source told ESPN.com.

NCAA Division III fall championships canceled: The NCAA Division III fall sports championships have been canceled for the 2020-21 season, the NCAA announced Wednesday, citing “the COVID-19 pandemic and related administrative and financial challenges.”

Sun Belt approves football schedule: The Sun Belt has approved a football schedule that includes eight league games and up to four non-league games, set to begin Labor Day weekend and possibly sooner.

Monday, Aug. 3: The recent changes to Power 5 football schedules could impact the entire bowl system, as bowl organizations and conferences are contemplating adjusting the schedule and eligibility requirements for teams during a season that has already been drastically altered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Big 12 approves scheduling model: The Big 12 presidents and chancellors approved a scheduling model that will include nine conference games, plus one nonconference game, multiple sources within the league told ESPN on Tuesday evening. One source said the season could begin in mid-to-late September.

Sunday, Aug. 2: A group of Pac-12 football players from multiple schools penned a letter in The Players’ Tribune threatening to opt out of fall camp and game participation unless their demands for fair treatment, safety regulations and concerns over racial justice for college athletes are met by the conference.

Friday, July 31: The Pac-12 has approved a 10-game, conference-only fall schedule for football to begin on Sept. 26 with “a lot of built in flexibility,” the conference announced Friday.

Thursday, July 30: The Southeastern Conference will play a 10-game, conference-only schedule in the upcoming football season, sources confirmed to ESPN on Thursday.

Wednesday, July 29: The Big West Conference is postponing all fall sports through the end of the calendar year. The conference will determine later if conducting fall sports in the spring would be feasible.

Summit League delaying fall sports start: The Summit League is pushing back the start of fall sports to Sept. 23 because of concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. Soccer and volleyball will play conference-only schedules.

MAAC cancels fall sports: The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference has decided to cancel fall sports competition due to continuing health and safety concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. A decision on whether fall sports competition would be feasible in the spring will be determined by the conference presidents at a later date.

Ohio Valley postpones some sports: The Ohio Valley Conference has postponed the start of competition for fall Olympic sports until Sept. 17, and the league also plans to compete in conference only for women’s soccer and volleyball.

Gov. Cuomo: ‘No fans’ at college sports in N.Y.: Colleges and universities in New York can play football and other sports this fall, but they will have to do so without fans in the stands because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to an order from Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday.

SWAC lays out plans to move football to spring: The Southwestern Athletic Conference is postponing its fall sports competitions and championships because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and has begun plans to push the fall schedule to the 2021 spring semester, according to a statement provided to ESPN on Monday.

SEC honoring fall scholarships: According to the conference, SEC athletes who opt out of athletics this fall will still have their scholarships honored. Athletes will now be able to choose if they want play in the face of health and safety concerns.

A-10 postpones fall sports: The Atlantic 10 announced the postponement of all fall sports due to the coronavirus pandemic. The conference is yet to make an announcement on winter sports.

Colonial Athletic cancels season: The Colonial Athletic Association has canceled its football season. The 12 teams in the conference will be allowed to pursue independent schedules, however.

Thursday, July 16: The NCAA Sport Science Institute released extended guidelines to help schools continue to try to navigate a return to fall sports in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, including testing and results within 72 hours of competition in “high contact risk sports,” but NCAA president Mark Emmert conceded the virus is trending in the wrong direction.

MEAC suspends all fall sports for indefinite period: The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference has suspended all fall sports indefinitely because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic but hasn’t determined whether the fall schedules will be moved to the 2021 spring semester, the league announced on Thursday.

Big East cancels nonconference schedules for fall: The decision applies to men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball. There is no timetable for a decision on basketball scheduling.

NCAA eases bowl eligibility rules: College football teams can count two games against qualifying FCS teams toward bowl eligibility during the upcoming season, the NCAA’s Division I Council announced Wednesday.

Monday, July 13: The Patriot League will not play sports in the fall because of the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. Military Academy and Naval Academy are exempt from the cancellation, and any decisions on their participation in competitive sports will be made by their superintendents.

NJCAA OKs move to spring football season: The National Junior College Athletic Association on Monday approved a proposal to move its football season to the spring, according to Dr. Christopher Parker, the NJCAA president and CEO.

Friday, July 10: The NCAA’s senior vice president of basketball, Dan Gavitt, announced Friday that there is no plan in place to shift the NCAA men’s tournament in 2021. Gavitt said it’s “premature to consider dramatic alternatives” at the moment.

Wednesday, July 8: The Ivy League has ruled out playing all sports this fall, executive director Robin Harris told ESPN on Wednesday, marking the first major college decision about the status of fall sports amid the coronavirus pandemic.

COVID-19 impact: How do schools plan, test, recruit and stay afloat?

How the MAC shutdown will impact fall football: Everyone was waiting to see which FBS conference would be the first to postpone fall football. Now that the MAC has made that decision, more conferences could be going the same way — and quickly. Read

How the SEC’s scheduling decision affects the ACC, Big 12, College Football Playoff and more: Facebook Messenger Pinterest Email print Four Power 5 conferences have announced their preferred scheduling models, as the SEC joined the Big Ten and Pac-12 in going with conference-only games. The SEC is now planning on playing a 10-game season starting on Sept. 26. The Big 12 is expected to decide next week. What do all these decisions mean for the college football season? Here are the most pressing questions answered. Read

What does ACC, Notre Dame decision mean for college football? The ACC announced an 11-game schedule that features 10 conference games, one nonconference matchup and Notre Dame, so now what? We’re here to answer all your questions about the upcoming ACC fall season and what it means for the rest of college football. Read

College football and coronavirus: Answering the most pressing questions for a 2020 season: With the ACC likely to make a decision this week about its scheduling model and a possible season start date, and the Big 12 and SEC likely not too far behind, here are the most pressing questions surrounding the college football season. Read

How college football teams are prepping for the start of practice: Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the “enhanced summer access period,” is starting for college football. Here’s the inside story of what to expect with socially distanced practices, meetings and more. Read

Will college football happen in 2020? How each conference is approaching the upcoming fall season: Some conferences have already made decisions regarding fall sports while others will wait and see. Either way, this page will keep you updated on the latest happenings regarding college football this fall. Read

College basketball coaches wait for next shoe to drop: The Ivy League will not be back on the court until December, at the earliest. Coaches throughout men’s college basketball wonder if similar pandemic-influenced decisions are coming for their leagues. Read

How college football is trying to answer its biggest return-to-play questions: How do you keep the players safe? Did schools err in bringing players back? How can there be uniformity in testing or scheduling? What will practice look like in a contact sport? And what do the players think? We talked to athletic directors, coaches, athletes and parents, as well as medical and legal experts, to get a sense of where things stand with the start of the season less than two months away. Read

No football would cost $4 billion, alter college sports: As more college athletic departments cut sports programs, the financial wreckage is becoming clear. And it gets even worse if college football doesn’t return. Read

College recruiting challenges during the coronavirus pandemic: With the state of college football and basketball in limbo, coaches and recruits across the country have had to find new ways to go about age-old practices during the spring. Read

College Football Playoff: Will there be one?

CFP officials have said they are moving forward with a plan to still have a playoff as scheduled. Here is the latest news:

Schools that have cut pay, programs, staff

A day after the University of Cincinnati announced it would permanently cut its men’s soccer program, a letter from five conference commissioners to NCAA president Emmert asked, in part, for the NCAA to lift rules that require Division I schools to sponsor at least 16 varsity sports.

Here are other programs that have disbanded, plus schools that have made staffing changes and pay cuts:

• Minnesota, Wisconsin thrown for losses in sports budget crunch

• Cincinnati drops men’s soccer program amid “widespread uncertainty”

• Old Dominion cuts wrestling, citing financial impact of coronavirus

• Louisville furloughs 45 athletic department staffers, others take 4% pay cut

• Boise State coaches, athletics staff to be furloughed

• Colorado athletic director, three head coaches to take 10% pay cuts

• Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck confirms taking unpaid week

• Syracuse coaches Jim Boeheim, Dino Babers take voluntary pay cuts

• Rutgers athletic director, three highest-paid coaches taking pay cuts

• Kansas’ Les Miles, Bill Self, Jeff Long take salary cuts

• Texas Tech to trim $7 million from athletic budget

• Kansas State football, men’s hoops coaches agree to salary reduction

• Arizona’s Sean Miller, Kevin Sumlin among coaches taking 20% pay cut

• Report: Florida International AD defers year’s salary amid furloughs

• Akron to eliminate three sports in cost-cutting move

• Furman eliminates baseball, men’s lacrosse

• Central Michigan stops track amid coronavirus pandemic

• South Carolina football, basketball coaches among those taking 10% pay cut

• East Carolina eliminates swimming and diving, tennis programs

• Kansas athletic department to impose furloughs, pay cuts

• Bowling Green reinstates baseball program after donors pledge $1.5M

• Wright State drops softball and tennis programs

• Central Michigan gets 2-year waiver to have just five men’s teams

• Winthrop cuts men’s and women’s tennis programs

• Div. III Bowdoin, UMass Boston cancel fall sports during pandemic

• UConn Huskies eliminate four teams to reduce sports to 18

• Nebraska cutting 10% of 2021 athletic budget because of coronavirus

• Northern Colorado discontinuing men’s, women’s tennis

• Washington cuts athletic budget by 15% for 2020-21

• Iowa athletic department reduces budget by $15 million

• Division III Grinnell cancels football, fall sports

• Boise State cutting baseball, swimming and diving

• Division III’s Centennial Conference suspends fall sports

• Houston cutting budgets of all 17 of its teams by 5 percent

• Dartmouth cuts five sports effective immediately

• CIAA, SIAC suspend fall sports, may move some to spring

• Florida State to cut athletics budget by 20%, both coaches and AD taking salary reductions

• Michigan coaches Jim Harbaugh, Juwan Howard to take 10% pay cut amid revenue losses

• Stanford to cut 11 varsity sports, cites pandemic as breaking point

• Alabama cutting costs in all sports with pandemic threatening fall season

• George Washington to drop 7 sports in cost-cutting measure

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