The Mountain West is postponing its fall sports season because of concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, the conference announced Monday.
“We were hopeful we could carefully and responsibly conduct competition as originally scheduled with essential protocols in place,” Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson said in a statement. “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.”
The Mountain West is the second FBS conference to postpone football and other fall sports, joining the Mid-American Conference, which voted to do so Saturday morning. A source said the postponement is indefinite, though the Mountain West will look to the spring as an option for football and other fall sports.
“Can you put the fall into the spring? Can you play all of those sports? What does football look like in the spring?” he said. “For months, we’ve all been saying nearly the same thing — last resort, only if we have to. Well, for the Mountain West, it’s last resort and only if we have to.”
Thompson said the status of the student-athletes on campus will vary by institution, depending on the classes.