NORFOLK, Va. – The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) has suspended the spring 2021 football season, scheduled to start on Saturday, Feb. 20 through April 17.
Six of the MEAC’s nine football-playing institutions opted out of the spring 2021 season. Conference policy states if 50% or more institutions cannot participate in any championship, the championship for that sport will be suspended. As a result, the MEAC decided to allow individual member institutions to do what is best for their student-athletes and university community.
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Several MEAC institutions will play spring football.
At this point, Delaware State, Howard and South Carolina State have expressed an intent to do so. Those institutions will follow the ongoing protocols they have outlined at their schools and continue to align with the CDC guidelines and the NCAA’s health and safety provisions that have guided collegiate athletics throughout the academic year.
“While it is tremendously disappointing to suspend the spring 2021 football season, it is the right decision with regards to the health and well-being of our student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans,” MEAC Commissioner Dennis E. Thomas said. “As I have stated since the beginning of the pandemic, health and safety will continue to be at the forefront of every decision. We support those institutions who will continue to play.”
Florida A&M announced it would opt-out of football last fall, followed by Bethune-Cookman. North Carolina Central made its opt-out public last month. Norfolk State opted-out earlier this week. North Carolina A&T and Morgan State were still on-board along with the three teams mentioned earlier in the release.
The MEAC will move forward with plans for a fall 2021 season.