Atlantic 10 calls off fall sports; Davidson won’t play nonconference football games
The Atlantic 10 announced Friday that it has suspended its fall sports season due to the coronavirus. At the same time, A-10 member Davidson, which plays in the Pioneer Football League, said it won’t play a nonconference schedule.
The Atlantic 10, which doesn’t sponsor football, said all fall sports have been postponed, although there will be a “look-in window” in mid-September, “allowing for a potentially truncated competitive schedule amongst conference opponents if the COVID-19 risk has substantially been reduced.”
Said A-10 commissioner Bernadette McGlade: “It’s a slim opportunity, but we felt like we should keep the (look-in window) on the table.”
Otherwise, the league said the fall sports would be moved to the spring and will play a “competitive schedule.”
The A-10 also said no decision has been made yet on winter sports, acknowledging that it’s a basketball-centric league and that there are nonconference games scheduled in November.
Davidson, which plays in the football-only PFL, announced that nonconference games against Campbell (away, Sept. 5), Barton (home, Sept. 19) and Middle Georgia State (home, Sept. 26) won’t be played. The Wildcats’ PFL opener is Sept. 12 at Valparaiso.
Dayton, another A-10 school that plays football in the PFL, also announced it won’t play nonconference games.
In a statement, Davidson seems prepared to go completely without football this season, as well, unless the coronavirus outlook gets better: “Similar to our other fall sports, it is presumed that Davidson football may be postponed without a dramatic improvement in the COVID environment. We will work aggressively with the PFL and its membership to explore all competitive opportunities for our scholar-athletes.”
The non-football playing A10 had already announced in the spring that its fall sports would condense their schedules by 25 percent and that championship tournaments would be reduced to four teams. Most of the A-10’s schools are in the northeast, but the league also has membership in Missouri (Saint Louis), Ohio (Dayton), Virginia (Virginia Commonwealth, Richmond) and North Carolina (Davidson).
When the fall sports are moved to the spring, McGlade said their conference schedules will still be reduced and that they’ll play in realigned, regional pods.
McGlade said she doesn’t anticipate basketball’s conference schedule to change.
“The majority of our teams do private (air) charters when traveling, so that’s actually incredibly important as we try to bolster safety in the travel we’re engaged in,” McGlade said. “We’ve got an equitable schedule now, with 18 games -- nine home and nine away. So we hope we’re up and running after playing a nonconference schedule.”
This story was originally published July 17, 2020 at 12:10 PM.