HBCU Sports
  • SECTIONS
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Baseball
    • Softball
    • Volleyball
    • Track & Field
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Bowling
    • Other Sports
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Features
  • BANDS
  • PODCASTS
  • FORUMS
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • DONATE
No Result
View All Result
HBCU Sports
  • SECTIONS
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Baseball
    • Softball
    • Volleyball
    • Track & Field
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Bowling
    • Other Sports
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Features
  • BANDS
  • PODCASTS
  • FORUMS
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • DONATE
No Result
View All Result
HBCU Sports
No Result
View All Result

Home Football

Florida A&M opts out of spring football, track and volleyball seasons due to COVID-19 concerns

Kendrick Marshall by Kendrick Marshall
November 11, 2020
2
Florida A&M helmet

Photo: FAMU Athletics

505
VIEWS

You might also like

Surviving MEAC baseball schools look to thrive, establish home in NEC

Norfolk State’s Joe Bryant to play in NABC Reese’s Division I All-Star game

Glass ceilings, lack of respect still exist for HBCU basketball coaches

Florida A&M is the latest MEAC school to announce it has opted out of spring football in 2021 due to coronavirus concerns.

“Florida A&M Athletics’ decision to opt-out and forgo the 2021 spring football, indoor track and field and volleyball season was made with the health and safety of our student-athletes is our top priority. This was a collective decision with our coaches and staff, given the varying circumstances that COVID-19 has created for our program,” said Kortne Gosha, Florida A&M athletics director said in a statement Wednesday. “We are certainly disappointed that some of our student-athletes will not be able to compete this year; however, we will shift our focus to achieving our academic priorities while planning a safe return to play in fall 2021, our inaugural season in the Southwest Athletic Conference.”

The university initially planned to have truncated schedules during the spring season with limited travel.  However, school officials cited fears of further spreading of the virus for student-athletes, coaches, and fans.

As of Wednesday, Florida has accumulated 858,000 COVID-19 cases and 17,299 deaths since the pandemic was declared in March. Leon County, which encompasses FAMU, has totaled 13,219 infections and 120 deaths, according to the Florida Department of Health.

The 2020-21 season was supposed to Florida A&M’s last season in the MEAC after a 40-year in the league. In June, the university announced that it would join the SWAC for the 2021-22 campaign.

The Rattlers athletic program now joins Bethune-Cookman University — also slated to join the SWAC next year — as the only MEAC schools that will not participate in football.

Florida A&M makes its decision at a time when coronavirus has significantly disrupted football at the FBS level this week alone. As many as five Top 25 games being wiped out, including contests involving the No. 1, No.3 and No. 5 ranked teams in the country. So far this season, 55 FBS games have either been canceled or postponed because of COVID-19 issues.

MEAC Commissioner Dr. Dennis Thomas explained that all schools within the league have until Nov. 16 to forgo spring sports.



Tags: Florida A&MMEAC
Kendrick Marshall

Kendrick Marshall

Kendrick Marshall is an award-winning journalist and a graduate of Jackson State University.

Next Post
Bryan Mills, North Carolina Central University

North Carolina Central's Bryan Mills accepts invite to 2021 Senior Bowl

Comments 2

  1. Pingback: Maryland Eastern Shore will not compete in 2020-21 spring sports
  2. Pingback: Florida A&M fall football schedule includes opener versus Jackson State, homecoming with Grambling

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending

  • Morgan State to host a PWI for homecoming as part of 11-game schedule
  • Jackson State coach Tomekia Reed identified as candidate for Memphis job
  • North Carolina Central, Mississippi Valley State headline return of Circle City Classic in 2023
  • Glass ceilings, lack of respect still exist for HBCU basketball coaches
  • Meet the only HBCU that features a competitive beach volleyball team
  • The ‘NIL king’ among HBCU athletes who are top earners in amateur sports
  • Report: Tulane assistant Kevin Johnson likely to get Southern job
  • HBCU spring football 2023: A complete list of game dates
  • Reggie Barlow credits current XFL success to HBCU experience
  • Women’s basketball legend Dawn Staley endorses Norfolk State’s Kierra Wheeler

RSS HBCU Sports Forums

  • Lance Reddick
  • HBCU Baseball 2023
  • Mississippi's racist politics hits a new level
  • Transfer Portal Thread 2022-23 Part II
  • Disney vs Fascist Florida: The Mouse Claps Back
  • PVAMU Bowling Wins 2023 SWAC Championship
  • Surviving MEAC baseball schools look to thrive, establish home in NEC
  • JSU News
  • HBCU Basketball Thread: March 2023
  • The Next Time a MOFO Says TransWomen are Women...Tell them this
  • TERMS & CONDITIONS
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • COMMENT POLICY
  • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
 CONTACT US

© 2022 RASHAD MEDIA - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
PARTNER OF IONE DIGITAL / CASSIUS NETWORK

No Result
View All Result
  • SECTIONS
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Baseball
    • Softball
    • Volleyball
    • Track & Field
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Bowling
    • Other Sports
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Features
  • BANDS
  • PODCASTS
  • FORUMS
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • DONATE

© 2022 RASHAD MEDIA - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
PARTNER OF IONE DIGITAL / CASSIUS NETWORK

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

X