MAC announces cancellation of all fall sports, hopes to move seasons to spring
An aisle attendant watches a game between Central Michigan and Toledo from the top of an empty section of seats March 11 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, OH.
There will be no fall sports season for the Mid-American Conference and its member schools.
The conference announced Saturday that it has elected to cancel its football, volleyball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer and field hockey seasons in the fall.
In an effort to play, the conference will explore a spring season to play each sport.
The MAC is the first conference in the Football Bowl Subdivision to make such a decision regarding its fall sports campaign.
MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher confirmed that the decision was made due to concerns surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Steinbrecher also confirmed that the conference plans to play all sports in the spring.
"The council of presidents unanimously voted to take this action with the health and safety of its student-athletes, coaches and communities as its top priority," the conference said in a press release. "It is the intention of the membership to provide competitive opportunities for the student-athletes in these sports during the spring semester of 2021."
The Chippewas were coming off MAC West division titles in both football and volleyball, with respective coaches Jim McElwain and Mike Gawlik serving as the conference's reigning Coach of the Year in their respective sports.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
