UCA to play fall sports despite Southland postponement, athletic director says

University of Central Arkansas Coach Nathan Brown is shown in this file photo. (AP file photo)
University of Central Arkansas Coach Nathan Brown is shown in this file photo. (AP file photo)

The Southland Conference announced Thursday its intentions to postpone all fall sports due to the coronavirus pandemic. Despite this, University of Central Arkansas Athletic Director Brad Teague said in a statement the Bears will attempt to play a reduced fall schedule anyway.

“The Board concluded that an entire fall sports season is not likely, and that a postponement to spring can provide the important opportunities our teams annually seek,” Southland Conference Commissioner Tom Burnett said in a news release. “While disappointed that we won’t be playing these sports in the Southland’s 58th year of fall competition, we look forward to a unique spring season of athletics that also includes NCAA postseason opportunities.”

The news release also stated that "Institutions may choose to participate in limited fall competition." This is exactly what Teague and UCA plan to do.

"Following the Southland Conference's decision that the conference is postponing fall sports to the spring semester, UCA is moving forward with its fall campaign in all sports, playing a reduced schedule," Teague said in a statement. "We are working with several other institutions from the Missouri Valley, the Ohio Valley, the Southern, and the Big South Conferences to put together schedules for our student-athletes to compete."

UCA football intends to kick off its season against Austin Peay on Aug. 29 and travel to Jonesboro to face Arkansas State University on Sept. 19. As for the rest of UCA's schedule, that is currently up in the air.

Upcoming Events