Bradley University Athletics

Fall Sports Season Delayed

The MVC Presidents Council announces conference-only competition for Soccer and Volleyball to begin Sept. 18

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications General 7/27/2020 3:05:00 PM

ST. LOUIS - The Missouri Valley Conference Presidents Council has announced that it will delay the start of competition in MVC fall sports until Friday, Sept. 18, and the league will conduct conference-only competition in men's soccer, women's soccer and volleyball.

This decision does not include football-playing institutions that compete in leagues with separate governing bodies (members of the Pioneer Football League and the Missouri Valley Football Conference). It also does not include non-MVC sponsored sports in which Conference institutions compete.

Fall competitive schedules for men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, and women's tennis also will be delayed until Sept. 18, as will the non-championship fall seasons for baseball and softball. Additionally, the start of fall practice for all MVC-sponsored sports may not start before Aug. 17. Beginning with Sept. 18, student-athletes in those sports may compete against non-conference competition, provided that non-MVC institutions meet the necessary safety specifications as outlined in the NCAA's Resocialization of College Sports Guidelines.

Bradley is one of five Missouri Valley Conference institutions currently sponsoring men's soccer and all 10 league institutions sponsor women's volleyball. Bradley does not sponsor a NCAA Division I women's soccer team.

At this time, schedules for winter and spring sports are not impacted. MVC championship models for fall sports as previously announced also are not impacted. Earlier this summer, The Valley announced three of its five men's soccer teams would qualify for the 2020 MVC Men's Soccer Championship with the semifinal between the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds to be played Nov. 11 at the site of the No. 2 seed. The winner will visit the No. 1 seed for the championship match Nov. 15. The top six teams in the women's volleyball regular-season standings will advance to the 2020 MVC Volleyball Championship Nov. 26-28 at Illinois State's Redbird Arena. Illinois State also is slated to host the 2020 MVC Cross Country Championships Oct. 30 at Weibring Golf Club.

MVC institutions may continue with permissible athletics activities at their discretion under approved safety protocols established in the NCAA's Resocialization of College Sports Guidelines, while following state, local and institutional policies.

The MVC and its Presidents Council will continue to monitor national developments and, if necessary, will consider additional action as dictated by circumstances.

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