Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

While Hampden-Sydney College will not be playing fall sports this year, Longwood University will begin its fall season in September.

“With a priority for the health and safety of student-athletes and others due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Big South Conference announced today that it will begin fall sport competition on Thursday, Sept. 3,” officials said in a Wednesday, July 22, Big South press release.

Longwood, a Big South member, is scheduled to begin fall competition Sept. 8.

The release stated the decision was made by the league’s executive committee in consultation with the Big South Council of Athletics Directors, chief executive officers and medical professionals, and provides each member institution the opportunity to further focus on return to competition protocols and necessary resources to facilitate the resocialization process, while maintaining competitive opportunities for its student-athletes this fall.

The new start date for competition includes all exhibition and non-conference games in the traditional fall sports of women’s and men’s soccer, volleyball and men’s and women’s cross country and coincides with the beginning of football season Sept. 3.

Baseball, men’s and women’s golf, women’s lacrosse, softball and men’s and women’s tennis, which hold their traditional seasons in the spring, will also begin scheduled fall competition activities on or after Sept. 3.

Big South member institutions may continue with any permissible athletics activities, as defined by NCAA regulations, at their own discretion as outlined in their respective return to competition protocols, as well as local and state policies related to individual campus decisions.  Rescheduling of contests will be determined by each institution.