The coronavirus and NCAA sports: NCAA reopening plans, program cuts, more

Big West maps out 20-game, league-only plan: The Big West Conference will play 20 league games in men's and women's basketball under a modified format that will reduce travel during the coming season because of the coronavirus.

Tuesday, Oct. 20: The Washtenaw County Health Department issued a stay-in-place order Tuesday for University of Michigan undergraduate students beginning immediately because of a rise in COVID-19 cases, but the order will not impact athletic activity at this time.

Southern Miss coach tests positive: Southern Miss interim coach Scott Walden tested positive for COVID-19, the school announced Tuesday.

Pac-12 details plan for cancellations: The Pac-12 on Monday announced its policies for game cancellations and updated tiebreakers for its season, which begins on Nov. 7 and features a seven-game, conference-only schedule and conference championship game.

Saturday, Oct. 17: Florida coach Dan Mullen announced Saturday he has tested positive for COVID-19, the latest hit to a football program that has been severely impacted by the coronavirus spread.

Friday, Oct. 16: A subsequent test of Alabama coach Nick Saban on Thursday showed that he is negative for COVID-19, the university announced Friday afternoon. The news comes 48 hours after Saban's initial positive test and opens up the possibility that Saban could return to coach Saturday night's home game against No. 3 Georgia.

SEC school fines could reach $1 million: SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said Friday that conference schools can face a cumulative penalty of $1 million as the league continues to enforce COVID-19 sideline protocols and hold head coaches accountable for wearing masks during games.

Thursday, Oct. 15: Less than 24 hours after the school announced that both Nick Saban and athletic director Greg Byrne had both tested positive for COVID-19, Alabama men's basketball coach Nate Oats told reporters that he tested positive for COVID-19 in July.

NCAA: Bowl teams won't require .500 records: All winter athletes in NCAA Division I sports will be given an additional year of eligibility and all football programs will be allowed to compete in bowl games -- regardless of their win-loss record -- as part of one-time rules changes in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

C-USA pushes back title game: Conference USA has pushed its football championship game back two weeks to Dec. 18, giving the league additional time to make up games postponed because of the coronavirus.

Pac-12 to allow families where permitted by health officials: In the wake of a petition that began circulating this week aimed at allowing parents of Pac-12 football players to be able to watch their sons play in person this year, the conference clarified it will permit such attendance where permitted by health officials.

CAA releases limited-travel basketball schedules: The Colonial Athletic Association on Wednesday released its men's and women's basketball schedules for the 2020-21 season using a format designed to limit travel and exposure to COVID-19.

Monday, Oct. 12: Barring a postseason meeting, UConn and Notre Dame will not play each other in women's basketball for the first time in 25 years after this season's expected encounter was postponed until the 2021-22 season because of coronavirus pandemic-related Notre Dame scheduling issues, UConn announced Monday.

Saturday, Oct. 10: Virginia Tech was without 15 players against North Carolina in Saturday's 56-45 loss to the Tar Heels, including starting safeties Divine Deablo and Keonta Jenkins.

Wednesday, Oct. 7: The Mid-American Conference on Wednesday released a six-game, league-only football schedule that will feature only midweek games for the first three weeks.

Georgia Southern-Appalachian State moved: Georgia Southern's football game against Appalachian State, originally scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 14 at Allen E. Paulson Stadium, has been postponed and rescheduled for Dec. 12, the schools announced Wednesday.

Two bowls canceled due to pandemic: Both the Hawaii Bowl and the Bahamas Bowl have been canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Thursday, Oct. 1: The Mountain West Conference released its 2020 schedule Thursday, which includes abbreviated conference slates for Boise State, Air Force and San Diego State.

Patriot League to nix games in 2020: Coaches in the Patriot League have been informed of plans to begin the basketball season in 2021 with an 18-game conference schedule, sources told ESPN.

Wednesday, Sept. 30: Missouri football coach Eli Drinkwitz said there's no uniform SEC policy for public reporting of COVID-19 test results, and no sharing of that information among the 14 member programs.

CAA spring football slate includes plus-2 option: The Colonial Athletic Association will play a six-game conference schedule that includes the option for schools to add up to two nonconference games during a 2021 spring season, the league announced on Wednesday.

Monday, Sept. 28: Thirteen Purdue athletes have been suspended for violating the "Protect Purdue Pledge" by holding a party in a campus residence hall Saturday, the university announced Monday.

FSU's Norvell returning: Florida State will have its head coach back on the sideline for Tuesday's practice, Mike Norvell confirmed Monday. Norvell missed last weekend's loss to Miami after testing positive for the coronavirus.

Memphis-Houston rescheduled: The Memphis Tigers will host Houston on Dec. 5 in a game rescheduled by the AAC because of COVID-19 testing results. The teams originally were scheduled to play Sept. 18.

North Carolina adds game: North Carolina has added a Dec. 11 game against Western Carolina, which replaces a Sept. 19 contest against Charlotte that was canceled because of COVID-19 issues.

Friday, Sept. 25: The Mid-American Conference will begin its football season on Nov. 4 and play a six-game, conference-only schedule, with a championship game on Dec. 18 or 19, the league announced Friday.

SEC sets conference basketball dates: The SEC announced Friday it would start its men's basketball conference season on Dec. 29-30, while its women's conference season would start Dec. 31.

Thursday, Sept. 24: The Pac-12 will play a seven-game conference football season beginning Nov. 6, representing an official reversal after the conference announced in early August that it would postpone all sports until at least Jan. 1, citing health concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Pac-12 hoops to start Nov. 25: The Pac-12 Conference announced Thursday that men's and women's basketball can begin their seasons on Nov. 25, the same day as the rest of the country.

Notre Dame-Wake Forest football rescheduled for Dec. 12: The makeup date for Wake Forest and Notre Dame's rescheduled football game will be Dec. 12, the ACC announced Wednesday.

Spring, 16-team playoff bracket approved for FCS football: The NCAA Division I board of directors on Tuesday approved a 16-team, spring playoff for FCS football, shrinking its usual championship bracket from 24 teams because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

SEC football to utilize devices used by NFL for contact tracing, distancing: Every football player in the SEC will wear the small, lightweight device also used in the NFL to help with COVID-19 contact tracing efforts, the conference announced Tuesday.

Monday, Sept. 21: Louisville is planning a nonconference bubble between Nov. 25 and Dec. 5, coach Chris Mack tweeted on Friday. According to Mack's tweet, the Cardinals are looking for eight to 12 teams to play three to five games during that time span.

Maui Invitational moving to NC: The 2020 Maui Invitational is moving to North Carolina, the tournament announced Friday. It will be held in Asheville, North Carolina, with sources saying it will take place from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2.

MAAC announces its basketball schedule model: The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference announced its schedule model for the 2020-21 college basketball season.

NCAA basketball can start Nov. 25: The 2020-21 men's and women's college basketball seasons can start on Nov. 25, the NCAA Division I Council said Wednesday.

NCAA panel eyes spring for canceled D-I sports: A month after canceling fall championships in non-football sports in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the NCAA Division I Council on Wednesday outlined the structure and timing of potential replacement spring seasons and championships for those displaced sports.

Wednesday, Sept. 9: Defending national champion LSU will have fans this season at 25% capacity of Tiger Stadium but no tailgating on campus, the school announced Wednesday.

Tuesday, Sept. 8: Oklahoma test results for the coronavirus will no longer be shared publicly, with the Sooners set to begin the regular season this week, coach Lincoln Riley announced Tuesday.

Friday, Sept. 4: In order to account for student-athletes who will have to miss games because of positive coronavirus tests, contact tracing and regular injuries, the Big 12 determined on Friday that teams with at least 53 players available -- including seven offensive linemen, four interior defensive linemen and one quarterback -- must play or it will be considered a forfeit.

Thursday, Sept. 3: Following a series of questions from ESPN, it was revealed that almost half of the 65 Power 5 schools have declined to disclose positive testing data from their respective programs. Of the Power 5 schools playing football this fall, 21 have declined to release positive tests.

ACC testing plan: The ACC unveiled its testing plan for the upcoming season. The conference will conduct three tests a week during the regular season for all fall sports, including football.

Masks mandatory at Oklahoma: Masks will be required on Oklahoma's campus on football game days, and tailgating will be prohibited during the football season in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

AAC moves non-football fall sports to spring: The American Athletic Conference will postpone the majority of its fall sports until the spring but plans to move forward with football in the fall, it announced Tuesday. The decision affects men's and women's soccer and women's volleyball, and could include cross country, "pending further NCAA clarification."

Tuesday, Aug. 18: The SEC will require face coverings for all fans and workers attending football games this fall.

SWAC details spring football plan: The SWAC became the first conference to announce plans for a spring football season Monday. The plan is for each team to play six conference and one nonconference game beginning February 27.

Friday, Aug. 14: The ASUN Conference says it is postponing all fall sports because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Thursday, Aug. 13: NCAA president Mark Emmert said on Thursday there won't be fall NCAA championships because there's not enough schools participating because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic -- a decision that impacts 22 championships, including FCS football.

Emmert says using bubbles for championships in 2021 'perfectly viable': NCAA president Mark Emmert endorsed the idea of potentially using bubbles for NCAA championships -- including basketball -- in the first half of 2021, saying Thursday night that it's "perfectly viable in many sports."

WAC suspends competition through end of 2020: The Western Athletic Conference joined a growing number of its peers and has suspended fall sports competition until at least the end of the calendar year.

Big Sky scuttles rest of fall sports: The Big Sky Conference has voted to postpone all fall sports competition until the spring because of concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.

Southland opts for spring college football: The Southland Conference has postponed football until the spring but will allow its members to play nonconference games this fall if they wish.

Wednesday, Aug. 12: The NCAA Division I Council recommended Wednesday that the Division I board of directors give student-athletes impacted by the coronavirus pandemic an extension of their five-year period of eligibility and an additional season of competition if they participate in 50% or less of the maximum number of competitions allowed in each sport under NCAA rules.

Big South postpones fall sports: The Big South Conference became the latest FCS football league to postpone its fall sports seasons on Wednesday, with the intent of playing in the spring, leaving three of the 13 FCS conferences with plans to play football and other sports this fall.

Big East fall sports postponed: The Big East announced that its fall sports -- men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, volleyball and field hockey -- won't be contested because of coronavirus concerns.

Horizon League postpones fall sports due to virus: The Horizon League has joined the list of conferences postponing all fall sports competition due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Monday, Aug. 10: The Mountain West is postponing its fall sports season because of concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, the conference announced on Monday.

Saturday, Aug. 8: The Missouri Valley Conference opted to move its football season to the spring due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The news came on the heels of the FCS postponement of the playoffs this fall.

Wednesday, Aug. 5: UConn, which last month officially left the American Athletic Conference, announced Wednesday that it's suspending its football program for the 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic.

NCAA Division III fall championships canceled: The NCAA Division III fall sports championships have been canceled for the 2020-21 season, the NCAA announced Wednesday, citing "the COVID-19 pandemic and related administrative and financial challenges."

Wednesday, July 29: The Big West Conference is postponing all fall sports through the end of the calendar year. The conference will determine later if conducting fall sports in the spring would be feasible.

A-10 postpones fall sports: The Atlantic 10 announced the postponement of all fall sports due to the coronavirus pandemic. The conference is yet to make an announcement on winter sports.

Colonial Athletic cancels season: The Colonial Athletic Association has canceled its football season. The 12 teams in the conference will be allowed to pursue independent schedules, however.

MEAC suspends all fall sports for indefinite period: The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference has suspended all fall sports indefinitely because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic but hasn't determined whether the fall schedules will be moved to the 2021 spring semester, the league announced on Thursday.

Monday, July 13: The Patriot League will not play sports in the fall because of the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. Military Academy and Naval Academy are exempt from the cancellation, and any decisions on their participation in competitive sports will be made by their superintendents.

NJCAA OKs move to spring football season: The National Junior College Athletic Association on Monday approved a proposal to move its football season to the spring, according to Dr. Christopher Parker, the NJCAA president and CEO.

Wednesday, July 8: The Ivy League has ruled out playing all sports this fall, executive director Robin Harris told ESPN on Wednesday, marking the first major college decision about the status of fall sports amid the coronavirus pandemic.

COVID-19 impact: How do schools plan, test, recruit and stay afloat?

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