SEC Announces New Start Dates and Formats For Fall Sport Seasons Including Volleyball, Cross Country, Soccer, Golf, and Tennis
Despite the NCAA fall championships being canceled, the Southeastern Conference is moving on with its respective volleyball, cross country, soccer, golf, and tennis seasons.
The league announced on Thursday afternoon new start dates and formats for those respective sports. It was previously announced that no competition would take place before Aug. 31.
Here are the layouts for each sport:
CROSS COUNTRY
- Season runs September 11-October 23
- Seven (7) weeks of competition
- Compete in a minimum two (2) events (maximum of three) prior to SEC Championships
- No restrictions on opponents; must adhere to SEC Testing protocol the week leading into competition
- No more than 10 teams may compete in a single race
- Schools may not compete in consecutive weeks
SOCCER
- Season runs weekend of September 18-November 8 (eight total weeks)
- Eight (8) regular season matches plus at least two (2) matches at the SEC Tournament
- Regular season includes six (6) divisional opponents and two (2) crossover opponents (4 home/4 away)
- One (1) match per week - play dates will be either Friday, Saturday or Sunday based on campus activities & television.
- Matches may move to Thursday on the fifth weekend of the season for make-up dates.
- 14-team Conference Tournament - Nov. 13-22; each team guaranteed at least two (2) matches
VOLLEYBALL
- Season runs weekend of October 16-November 27
- Six (6) weeks of competition
- Compete against four (4) opponents; same opponent twice in the same weekend
- Eight (8) total matches
GOLF AND TENNIS
- Teams may compete in up to three team events
- Competition can take place no earlier than October 1
- Teams are limited to events involving only SEC members or non-conference teams from the school's geographic region
Intra-squad scrimmages and fall practices can also take place for the baseball and softball teams, but they cannot have exhibition games with outside competition during the fall of 2020.
With the build up of college athletics returning, the SEC'S Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force will continue to meet to make sure protocols and procedures are met to ensure a safe return to play.
