The Conference Carolinas Board of Directors have postponed all fall sports competition until the spring of 2021 after extensive deliberation.

The decision was made in the best interest of Conference Carolinas student-athletes, coaches and administrators due to the continued challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conference Carolinas men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball will now hold their championship segments in the spring of 2021. Conference schedules will be reduced for these sports such that institutions may elect to create a regular season schedule that allows student-athletes to not exhaust a year of eligibility, utilizing the legislative relief provided to NCAA Division II institutions for the 2020-21 season. Conference Carolinas championships in these fall sports will be conducted in the spring of 2021.

Conference Carolinas member institutions, including the University of Mount Olive, will have institutional discretion to practice or compete in out-of-season athletically related activities and nonchampionship segments in the fall of 2020 for all sports per NCAA rules.

Further, the winter sports of men’s and women’s swimming & diving and men’s and women’s indoor track & field have institutional discretion on the start of their respective playing seasons and a decision on when men’s and women’s basketball and men’s wrestling may begin their respective playing seasons will be made at a later date.

“The health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches and staff is always our top priority,” Commissioner Chris Colvin said. “This was a difficult decision. When we initially announced in late July that our goal was to proceed with intercollegiate competition in the fall, we fully intended to do so. Unfortunately, the situation evolved to the point where this decision had to be made to protect our student-athletes and our institutions. We are thankful for the exhaustive efforts of our Board of Directors and Directors of Athletics working with us daily to evaluate what is best for all involved. We look forward to watching our fall student-athletes compete for Conference Carolinas championships in the spring of 2021.”

Conference Carolinas’ decision follows the requirements set forth by the NCAA Board of Governors and the cancelation of the NCAA Division II Fall Championships by the Presidents’ Council.

Conference Carolinas member institutions are continuing to work daily to create updated policies that will allow all of its student-athletes to return to campus as safely as possible. The conference is also continuing to work to create safety protocols and precautions around intercollegiate athletics participation.

In addition, Conference Carolinas is working with its member institutions to help find safe, unique and rewarding opportunities to engage all of its student-athletes in the 2020-21 academic year.

The conference will continue to work with its member institutions and the NCAA to monitor the latest local, state and federal developments.