RRAC to move fall sports to spring semester as pandemic precaution
WACO, Texas — The presidents of Red River Athletic Conference member institutions have decided to move traditional conference fall sports to the spring session of 2021 to support the safety and welfare of student-athletes and all students on campus. The resolution was made by the group on a conference call on Wednesday as the cases of COVID-19 infections continue to rise in the RRAC states of Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico.
The move pushes the typical RRAC fall sports of men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer, and volleyball to at least January. A decision on the start dates of the 2020-21 men’s and women’s basketball seasons will be made at a later date. Traditional spring sports are on schedule for a normal return in 2021.
Under the plan, RRAC members retain the option, at their discretion, to schedule and compete in non-conference or exhibition games.
RRAC administrators and athletic directors will begin work on adjusting soccer and volleyball schedules to account for the changes. New RRAC tournament dates for those sports will be determined later.
Given the changing nature of the COVID-19 crisis, the RRAC presidents also stated that they will continue to evaluate the situation and protocols necessary for the wellbeing of student-athletes. Conference administrators and athletic trainers will continue to refine their return to play and gameday procedures for the date when conference contests resume.
