COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The Mountain West has become the second FBS conference to postpone its football season, punting on the fall with an eye toward playing in the spring.
A person involved in the decision told The Associated Press the Mountain West would not play any sports in the fall. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
The Mountain West’s decision comes less than a week after it announced plans to play an eight-game conference football season and allow its members to pursue two non-conference games.
Now the 12-team Mountain West, which includes Colorado State and Air Force, joins the Mid-American Conference as leagues from the highest tier of NCAA Division I football to bail on the fall season and hope to make a go of it in the spring.
The conference released a statement less than an hour after initial reports surfaced, confirming all 2020 fall sports were postponed.
The sports affected by the decision also include men’s and women’s cross country, women’s soccer and women’s volleyball.
“Since the start of the pandemic, our membership and staff have been working diligently to prepare for a fall sports season,” said MW Commissioner Craig Thompson. “We were hopeful we could carefully and responsibly conduct competition as originally scheduled with essential protocols in place. However, numerous external factors and unknowns outside our control made this difficult decision necessary."
"I fully understand the impact of this outcome on our student- athletes, coaches, administrators and staff who work so hard daily to play the sports we all love, and I share in their disappointment. We will continue to navigate this pandemic together, overcome the obstacles and return to intercollegiate athletics at the earliest opportunity.”
