ITTA BENA, Miss. – Mississippi Valley State University, one of the smallest HBCU athletic programs in the country, has canceled the remainder of its 2025 women’s soccer season. The decision, made for health and safety reasons, ends a campaign that began with three straight losses.
Athletic Director Dr. Alecia Shields-Gadson stressed the importance of protecting student-athletes.
“The health and well-being of our student-athletes remain the highest priority for Mississippi Valley State University,” she said. “This was not an easy decision to make, but it was a necessary one.”
A Season Cut Short
The Delta Devils fell to Mississippi College (7-0), Northwestern State (7-0), and Nicholls (3-0). Games against non-conference and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) opponents—including Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Grambling State, Jackson State, Southern, Texas Southern, Prairie View A&M, and Alcorn State—will no longer take place. As a result, the program finishes the year winless.
Rough Decade For HBCU program
This setback continues a long downward slide. After finishing 13-7-2 in 2015, Mississippi Valley State has won only six matches in the years since. The team endured multiple winless seasons and then posted back-to-back two-win campaigns in 2023 and 2024. Consequently, optimism for a rebound in 2025 never materialized.
What Comes Next
The cancellation leaves questions about the future of women’s soccer at MVSU. The HBCU has faced financial and competitive challenges for years, and this pause may highlight those struggles even more. Furthermore, with an entire schedule erased, fans and supporters of HBCU athletics now wonder whether the program can recover or if this marks the beginning of deeper instability.
For now, the Delta Devils’ players must shift their focus. Instead of preparing for the next match, they will concentrate on health, safety, and academic success.