Any lingering hope of USF playing a full football schedule in 2020 appeared to be vanquished with Thursday’s report that the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is canceling fall sports.
Kenn Rashad of hbcusports.com first reported the cancellations. The Bulls are scheduled to face Bethune-Cookman, a MEAC school, in their Sept. 12 home opener. Another MEAC team, Florida A&M, is slated to play at UCF on Nov. 7.
The news also signals at least a one-year hiatus for the annual Florida Classic between B-CU and FAMU, one of the most prominent rivalries among historically Black colleges and universities. The contest, held in Tampa from 1978-96, has been played in Orlando every year since ’97.
The status of USF’s three other non-conference games (Sept. 5 at Texas, Sept. 19 vs. Nevada, Sept. 26 at FAU) remains unclear. The American Athletic Conference hasn’t determined whether it will go to a conference-only schedule ― an option already chosen by the Big Ten and Pac-12 ― though Commissioner Mike Aresco announced a COVID protocol Thursday.
Should a football season be staged, AAC teams will be required to undergo COVID-19 testing at least 72 hours before competition. The protocol will apply throughout the regular and bowl seasons.
Testing and operational protocols for Olympic sports are being finalized, Aresco said.
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