MVC postpones fall sports indefinitely; Saluki football competitions for fall cancelled

The Missouri Valley Conference announced on Aug. 14 an indefinite postponement of Conference seasons and championships due to the ongoing pandemic. 

The decision was made based on “continuing uncertainty around the ability to play full-season league schedules safely amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the lack of NCAA fall championship opportunity,” the announcement on the MVC’s website said. 

According to the release, the MVC plans to evaluate options for spring Conference competition and NCAA championships in spring 2021.

Previously, fall MVC sports were slated to begin competitions on or after Sept. 18, with practices to officially begin Aug. 17. 

Sports impacted by these decisions include volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country, and women’s soccer; winter sports are currently not impacted. 

In addition, Saluki football will not see competitions in the fall, but rather will compete in the Missouri Valley Football Conference season and potentially the NCAA postseason tournament in the spring. 

MVFC teams are still permitted to play non-conference games this fall per each individual institution’s discretion, but with SEMO and University of Kansas having cancelled their scheduled competitions for this fall with the Salukis,  SIU is not currently looking for any more opportunities to play this fall, according to an Aug. 14 Tweet from @SIU_Football. 

Editor Brooke Buerck can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @bbuerck25.

To stay up to date with all your southern Illinois news, follow the Daily Egyptian on Facebook and Twitter.

Advertisement