Southland pushes back start date

The Southland Conference has announced its member institutions will not participate in volleyball and soccer competition through Aug. 31. Beginning Sept. 1, Southland members will have the discretion to participate in nonconference volleyball and soccer competition prior to the conference portion of their 2020 schedules.

“We believe this gives us a little more time to ensure our protocols will be in place and appropriate for the health and safety of all involved,” said Brad Teague, the athletic director for University of Central Arkansas, a member of the conference.

The Central Arkansas women’s soccer program will be forced to rescheduled or drop a home exhibition game with Arkansas State University on Aug. 14, regular-season road matches at Missouri State on Aug. 23 and at Memphis on Aug. 30, as well as a home matchup against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on Aug. 30.

Central Arkansas soccer is now scheduled to open the 2020 season at Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 3.

UCA’s volleyball team was scheduled to play at Missouri State on Aug. 22 and against Colorado and Oklahoma in the Oklahoma Nike Invitational Norman, Okla., on Aug. 29. The Sugar Bears will now open the season in the SMU Doubletree Invitational beginning on Sept. 4 at Dallas.

UCA’s men’s and women’s cross country teams were not scheduled to begin their seasons until after Sept. 1.

The UCA men’s soccer program, which competes in the Sun Belt Conference, was forced to change its schedule Thursday, when the league announced a similar plan to begin fall sports competition on Sept. 3. The Bears had to eliminate and/or reschedule five games (three exhibitions, two regular-season games). The Bears will now begin their season at home on Sept. 4 vs. Air Force.

UCA’s football opener against Austin Peay on Aug. 29 at Montgomery, Ala., is not affected at this time.