Big South Conference announces fall sports start date despite COVID-19 increases
For some schools, athletic competition is just over a month away.
The Big South Conference announced through a news release on Wednesday that it will begin fall sport competition on Sept. 3. The decision, which prioritizes the “health and safety” of the conference’s athletes, appears to provide guidance for its member schools on how to plan for the upcoming athletic year.
The release states that the decision was made by the conference’s executive committee, in consultation with member schools’ athletic directors and medical professionals. It also clarifies that the new start date includes all exhibition and nonconference games in all sports — including spring or winter sports that might have scheduled fall competition activities.
Most Big South Conference member colleges and universities reside in South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. These states, as of Wednesday, have each recorded over 80,000 positive coronavirus cases and over 1,000 deaths since March.
York County, S.C., which is home to Big South member school Winthrop University, saw an additional 55 positive coronavirus cases on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the county added 74 new positive COVID-19 cases.
There have now been 17 coronavirus-related deaths in York County, according to state Department of Health and Environment Control officials.
Neither Big South Commissioner Kyle Kallander nor Winthrop athletic director Ken Halpin could be immediately reached for additional comment.
What else to consider with Big South announcement
▪ Last week, Big South member school Hampton University suspended its fall sports seasons, citing athlete safety during the unpredictable pandemic as its primary concern. Hampton anticipates resuming athletics during the spring, The Virginian-Pilot reported.
This story will be updated.
This story was originally published July 22, 2020 at 4:59 PM.
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