On Tuesday, Sept. 22, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors took up the issue of fall season sports playing national championships during the spring.

Last month, the NCAA decided to move forward on plans to hold spring championships for men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, men’s water polo and the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

“The plan sent to us by the Division I Council provides the maximum number of opportunities to fall student-athletes to participate in NCAA championships while still being fiscally responsible,” acting board chair and Texas State President Denise Trauth said in an NCAA release. “We look forward to the spring, understanding things will look a little different but knowing the competitions will be just as meaningful as in normal circumstances.”

Alongside each of the team’s own COVID-19 safety procedures, the plan reduces the size of championship brackets for all sports.

All sports brackets were reduced by 75% except for the FCS tournament, which was reduced from 24 to 16 teams.

Automatic qualification for conferences will be preserved.

Dates for the start of competition, tournament selection and championship were included in the plan, except for football. The start date of FCS teams was left up to institutional discretion.

The plan provides for FCS teams playing games in the fall to be considered for spring championship selection.

Kent State has teams in all of the categories mentioned in the release except for FCS football and men’s water polo.

Owen MacMillan is the sports editor. Contact him at [email protected].

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