Atlantic 10 Conference adds to list of Division I fall postponements
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (BVM) — With the COVID-19 pandemic still affecting all aspects of the sports world, the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) has joined other collegiate conferences in attempting to mitigate the spread of the virus. On July 17, the conference announced it would postpone all scheduled conference-sponsored sports and A-10 championships due to the pandemic and would instead attempt to have all fall sports participate in the spring. The conference is now one of eight Division I conferences to cancel or postpone its fall sports schedules.
The sports affected by these postponements include men’s and women’s soccer, field hockey, men’s and women’s cross country, and volleyball. The competitive schedules for men’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, and women’s rowing were also postponed as will non-traditional competition seasons for baseball, softball and women’s lacrosse.
“Upon their return to campus, teams will have the opportunity to train and practice under the approved safety protocols established in partnership with the league, each institution and local public health experts,” the conference said in a press release. “Modifications to practice and organized team activities are already underway, and will allow each student-athlete the opportunity to recondition and hone their athletic skills while remaining focused on their scheduled academic pursuits.”
The competitive schedules for winter sports will remain unchanged at this time, aside from swimming and diving, according to the conference. The conference also agreed to a “look-in window” for mid-September in which member teams can have conference competitions if the COVID-19 risk has been “substantially” reduced. The reinstatement of competitions following the look-in window would require protocols that would assure the safety of the campus community. If COVID-19 risk levels do not improve, the teams and student-athletes will continue training and practicing while they prepare for the spring sports season.
With the A-10 being mostly known for its basketball prowess, the conference also mentioned that although basketball contests begin in November, it would be “premature” to make decisions on the basketball competitive schedule at this point. With member teams including University of Dayton, which finished the past season ranked as the No. 3 team in the country, Davidson, the once home of NBA star Steph Curry, and Virginia Commonwealth University, which was once the Cinderella and media darling of the early 2010s, it is no surprise that the conference would try to maintain its basketball season as much as possible.
Other conference teams include Duquesne, Fordham, George Mason, George Washington, La Salle, University of Massachusetts, University of Rhode Island, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, St. Joseph’s and Saint Louis.
“Addressing the immediate return of fall sport student-athletes was the priority in working with every institution’s campus to assure a safe return to school with an opportunity to compete in the winter and spring sports as well as the postponed fall sports competitions,” the conference said in the release.
On July 30, the A-10 announced its men’s basketball conference matchups for the upcoming season. The season will mark the conference’s 45th anniversary and will feature an 18-game slate. Each team will play every A-10 opponent once, and five conference foes twice. There will be 126 conference games this season and the 2021 Atlantic 10 men’s basketball championship is scheduled for March 10-14 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
As conference student-athletes, coaches and fans anxiously await the “look-in window” for fall sports, the conference will continue to monitor the progress of the pandemic with hopes for a safe return sooner than later.
