KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Council of Presidents (COP) voted today to postpone the football national championship until spring 2021. This decision comes on the heels of the COP voting on Tuesday to postpone all other fall sport championships until the spring.
This decision still allows NAIA conferences the flexibility to play their regular season in the fall, winter, or spring - with the Frontier Conference making the announcement that they will play an 8-game round-robin schedule among the Montana teams in the circuit this fall. College of Idaho, Eastern Oregon and Southern Oregon decided last Friday that they will push their football seasons to the spring.
Â
During the July 28 COP meeting, it was determined that football required additional attention since the sport often operates outside of the regular conference structure. The additional time was to allow COP members to have adequate opportunity to gain feedback from their respective colleagues before voting.
Â
Moving all the fall championships to spring is the most inclusive option for our members, especially those schools that are not able to participate in athletics this fall. By moving the championships to spring, student-athletes at these schools will have the possibility of participating in a national championship.
Â
This decision also allows the greatest autonomy to our institutions in regards to scheduling and because of that flexibility, sports will be able to extend their maximum number of contests back to the original number allowed, if they so choose.
Â
These decisions are unprecedented, which makes it difficult to foresee all the consequences that will need to be addressed. Know that we are working as quickly as possible with the various governance groups to establish updated processes and protocols that will best support our student-athletes.
Â
