The NCAA may have moved all of its fall sports championships to the spring, but the SEC plans to play them in the fall.
The conference announced plans for the soccer, volleyball, cross country, golf and tennis seasons Thursday, which have all been adjusted because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The cross-country season will consist of a minimum of two and a maximum of three competitions prior to the SEC Championship in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Oct. 30. The season will take place between September 11 and October 23. Competition against non-conference opponents is allowed as long as they follow SEC’s COVID-19 testing protocols.
Both volleyball and soccer will play eight-game, conference only schedules. The soccer season will begin on Sept. 18, followed by the SEC Championship, Nov. 13-22, in Orange Beach, Alabama. All 14 schools will compete in the SEC Championship with each team guaranteed at least two matches.
Volleyball will start on Oct.16 with each school competing against four opponents twice in the same weekend on back-to-back days.
Both sports will also compete in the spring, “with details of formats contingent on final decisions by the NCAA to conduct spring championships in those sports.”
For the fall segments of the golf and tennis seasons, SEC teams may compete in up to three team events beginning no earlier than Oct. 1. Both sports will be limited to events involving only SEC members or non-conference teams from the geographic region of the SEC school.
Here are the highlights from the announcement:
CROSS COUNTRY
- Season runs September 11-October 23
- Seven (7) weeks of competition
- Compete in a minimum two (2) events (maximum of three) prior to SEC Championships
- No restrictions on opponents; must adhere to SEC Testing protocol the week leading into competition
- No more than 10 teams may compete in a single race
- Schools may not compete in consecutive weeks
SOCCER
- Season runs weekend of September 18-November 8 (eight total weeks)
- Eight (8) regular season matches plus at least two (2) matches at the SEC Tournament
- Regular season includes six (6) divisional opponents and two (2) crossover opponents (4 home/4 away)
- One (1) match per week – play dates will be either Friday, Saturday or Sunday based on campus activities & television.
- Matches may move to Thursday on the fifth weekend of the season for make-up dates.
- 14-team Conference Tournament – Nov. 13-22; each team guaranteed at least two (2) matches
VOLLEYBALL
- Season runs weekend of October 16-November 27
- Six (6) weeks of competition
- Compete against four (4) opponents; same opponent twice in the same weekend
- Eight (8) total matches
GOLF AND TENNIS
- Teams may compete in up to three team events
- Competition can take place no earlier than October 1
- Teams are limited to events involving only SEC members or non-conference teams from the school’s geographic region