OKLAHOMA CITY – Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sooner Athletic Conference officially announced on Friday that it will be altering the season schedule for all of its fall sports, which includes football, cross country, men's and women's soccer and volleyball.
The Sooner Athletic Conference regular season, as well as the championship events have been moved to the spring while programs have the option to participate in non-conference games during the fall.
The move comes after the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced on Tuesday that it will be moving all of its fall championships to the spring with event dates to be determined at a later time.
For soccer, Presidents from all 11 full-time SAC institutions approved of playing a nine-game single round robin schedule in the spring along with the option to compete in five additional non-conference games against SAC opponents in the fall. During the fall, SAC teams can play a conference opponent no earlier than Oct. 15 and no later than Nov. 14.
Sooner Athletic Conference teams will still be permitted to play non-conference games against non-SAC schools no earlier than Sept. 5 and will be allowed to begin practice on Aug. 15.
For volleyball, the SAC Presidents approved of a 10-game single round robin schedule during the spring and will also permit up to five additional non-conference matches against Sooner Athletic Conference opponents in the fall between the dates of Oct. 15 and Nov. 14. Langston University has opted that it will not compete during the fall time frame.
As per the NAIA mandate, volleyball teams will be permitted to start practice on Aug. 15 and participate in non-conference games starting on Sept. 5.
The NAIA is planning to announce championship dates and qualifying details by Aug. 21 for cross country, football, soccer and volleyball.
The Mid-America Christian men's and women's soccer, as well as volleyball programs will announce their updated schedules later in the month of August once championship dates have been finalized.
For all other questions, you can reach out to MACU Athletic Director Marcus Moeller at marcus.moeller@macu.edu or Sports Information Director Adam Stanek at adam.stanek@macu.edu.
