COLORADO SPRINGS — The Mountain West Conference officially canceled its fall sports season on Monday due to player health and safety concerns regarding COVID-19.
The league presidents voted Monday to become the second FBS conference to cancel all fall sports.
The MAC conference was the first to cancel its fall season last week.
The conference will now look to try to play their fall sports in the Spring.
“Since the start of the pandemic, our membership and staff have been working diligently to prepare for a fall sports season,” said Mountain West 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.”
Locally, that means Air Force, Colorado State, Wyoming and Colorado College will all be affected by this decision.
“The health and safety of our cadet-athletes, coaches, staff and community has been and will continue to be our top priority at the Academy, and was reflected in the Mountain West’s difficult decision to postpone fall sports," said Air Force Athletic Director Nathan Pine. "My heart aches for our cadet-athletes, coaches and everyone who supports our programs but the announcement today is the appropriate course of action at this time. Air Force will continue to work closely with the NCAA and Mountain West on next steps.”
“We are in support of our conference’s decision that places the well-being of our student-athletes at the forefront,” added CC Vice President and Director of Athletics Lesley Irvine. “While the decision is incredibly disappointing, we now hope to benefit from discussions and planning around possible spring opportunities for our women’s soccer team."
According to Pine, the Falcon football team will also still try to play Army & Navy, for the Commander-In-Chief trophy, if conditions allow.
