The ASUN has announced all fall sports will be postponed until the spring, the latest Division I conference to make the announcement amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The conference also announced “providing a spring season for the fall sports remains an ASUN priority.”
Liberty’s men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, and volleyball teams are all affected. Liberty’s women’s field hockey team competes in the Big East, which announced earlier this week its fall sports have also been postponed.
Liberty has been a member of the ASUN for the past two seasons after moving to the league from the Big South. The field hockey team has been an affiliate member of the Big East since the 2016 campaign and appeared in the conference title game in 2016, 2017, and 2018.
The ASUN’s presidents met Friday evening and decided the fall sports’ fate. Liberty was represented on the call, but it has not been reported who represented the Flames as President Jerry Falwell, Jr is currently on a leave of absence from his position.
The ASUN’s decision has no impact on Liberty’s football program which competes as an Independent at the FBS level. The Flames are still planning on a 2020 fall football season and hoping for at least 10 games. Liberty currently has 8 games on its schedule, having had 4 opponents drop from the schedule after individually canceling their fall season or having their conference make the decision.
The ASUN Presidents’ Council’s decision on fall sports also applies to intercollegiate competition for any ASUN sponsored sports that have a designated spring championship, such as men’s and women’s tennis, softball, and baseball.
The volleyball team was scheduled to make the grand opening of the brand new Liberty Arena this fall, which is expected to be completed in October.
The ASUN winter sports of men’s and women’s basketball and men’s and women’s indoor track & field are not impacted by this decision, and all ASUN sponsored sports may continue with “permissible athletic activities related to training and practice in accordance with NCAA, local and state guidelines.
The NCAA announced on Thursday there won’t be fall NCAA championships, a decision that impacts 22 championships including FCS football.The announcement does not affect FBS football.
