On August 12, VSU Athletic Director, Herb Reinhard in coalition with the Gulf South Conference, postponed all fall sports due to the coronavirus through the remainder of the 2020 calendar year weeks after the first schools in the country began postponing fall sports. The decision comes just a week after the NCAA Division 2 Presidents Council canceled fall championship games.

Among the sports that will not be taking place are football, soccer, volleyball and basketball. Golf and cross-country will still go on as planned since those sports having a minimal risk of contact.  VSU and the Gulf South Conference are looking at potentially playing the fall sports in the spring.

However, Reinhard has said if there are spring seasons for these sports that it would only play half of the normal schedule allowed.  This was decided after the NCAA ruled that if a team plays 50% or less of its allowed schedule, they will allow the student-athletes to retain their eligibility.

“We would only play, frankly, a greatly reduced schedule,” said Reinhard in interview with WALB News 10. “Because we are not going to trigger the season of competition so that our student-athletes lose that season of competition.”

It is unknown if this decision will impact the athletic department as well as VSU as a whole.  VSU’s football team brings in revenue not just for the university, but for the Valdosta community.  With no football season, or other fall sports seasons for that matter, there is no telling how much money the school will lose .

It is also unknown how this will affect VSU’s recruiting and overall school attendance, since it has not been stated if VSU will ultimately play in the spring or not.  In addition, because of the NCAA’s ruling on eligibility, there could be more or fewer scholarships available depending on if athletes decide to play or not.

Written by Austin Bruce ,Staff Writer. Photo courtesy of Bethany Davis, Graphic Designer.