Bluefield University’s Athletics Department will move the 2020 Football season to the spring following the recommendation of two Mid-South Conference football division administrative councils, and a subsequent vote of the institutions’ presidents. Bluefield University Rams football is a part of the Appalachian Division of the Mid-South Conference. Mid-South conference schedules will be announced following the setting of football championship series dates in the days ahead.
Other Mid-South conference divisions include the Bluegrass Division, which also voted to postpone its football season to the spring. The Sun Division of the conference, however, announced its intention to begin play on September 12. Each of the three divisions independently determined divisional play during the fall. With the football footprint spanning over seven states, each division’s administrative council was given the authority to make the decision on fall play based on state and federal regulations within its geographical area.
“We will make the most of this time to help our students focus on their academics because they are first and foremost student-athletes,” said Director of Athletics Tonia Walker. “Coaches will continue to work with student-athletes in preparation for the season through rigorous strength training, conditioning, and dedicated work on team unity.”
Fall season athletes arrived on campus at Bluefield University beginning July 31, 2020. After going through opening protocols, including COVID-19 testing, members of the football team took time to settle into their residence halls, registered for classes, and started conditioning. Bluefield University will begin classes on August 19 for students both on-campus and online.
Other sports with fall seasons, including men and women’s soccer, cross country, golf, and tennis are currently scheduled to begin on September 15, 2020. University officials continue to daily monitor decisions by conferences and peer institutions as future plans are made related to Athletics and the operations of the institution.
Bluefield University will continue to keep its community informed by sharing information by press releases, campus e-mails, and by updating our webpage: www.bluefield.edu/covid-19. Up-to-date information on Virginia coronavirus cases can also be found from the Virginia Department of Health at www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus. Please continue to look at these sources for the most up-to-date and accurate information.