Northeast Conference postpones fall sports, including Duquesne, St. Francis football
The Northeast Conference, which counts Duquesne and St. Francis among its football members, has postponed fall sports.
The league, which had previously announced a delay for fall sports until Sept. 10, made the announcement Wednesday evening. The NEC said it would meet by Oct. 1 to “evaluate the public health crisis and competitive options moving forward.”
In a statement, the NEC said it attempted to craft policies and protocols that would have made competition safe but could not because of “the persistence of the virus and the potential for exposure among student-athletes, coaches, administrators, support staff, fans and local communities.”
The NEC sponsors cross country, field hockey, football, soccer and women’s volleyball in the fall.
“While this decision was exceedingly difficult and will be incredibly heartbreaking for our NEC student-athletes, coaches and administrators, the NEC Council of Presidents focused on the importance of the health and safety and well-being of our entire campus communities,” commissioner Noreen Morris said in the statement.
Robert Morris, which pulled out of the NEC in June, is set to play an independent schedule this season before joining the Big South for football next year. The Colonials’ schedule is still filled with NEC teams, however, including Duquesne, St. Francis, Central Connecticut, Sacred Heart, Wagner and LIU, so major changes will be required if the team is to play this fall.
Jonathan Bombulie is the TribLive assistant sports editor. A Greensburg native, he was a hockey reporter for two decades, covering the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for 17 seasons before joining the Trib in 2015 and covering the Penguins for four seasons, including Stanley Cup championships in 2016-17. He can be reached at jbombulie@triblive.com.
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