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The highest body of the NCAA today canceled the season for all fall championships, the sports that compete from August through just before the holidays every year.
The sports that are canceled are men’s and women’s cross-country, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s water polo, women’s volleyball, field hockey, and FCS football.
"We cannot, at this point, have fall NCAA championships."
— Inside the NCAA (@InsidetheNCAA) August 13, 2020
NCAA President Mark Emmert discusses the latest developments in fall sports and looks ahead to winter and spring championships.
Hear more on the NCAA Social Series TONIGHT at 7 p.m. ET from @NCAA. pic.twitter.com/DpuIdqQrhj
This ruling does not affect FBS football, as that body has autonomy within the NCAA governance structure to make separate decisions in the interests of those sports.
When each of the sports named crossed the 50% threshold of teams at the Division I level choosing not to participate, this decision became inevitable. The NCAA set 50% participation as the minimum threshold for the normal postseason tournaments in these sports to be held.
While it is possible for championships in these sports to be moved to the spring, many collegiate athletics administrators have had reservations about how thin the staffing of their departments would be stretched with fall, winter, and spring sports all participating at the same time.
As of this writing, six FBS conferences are still attempting to have a football season: The American, ACC, Big 12, Conference USA, SEC, and Sun Belt. Independents BYU, Liberty, and Notre Dame are also attempting to play, with Notre Dame joining the ACC for the upcoming season only.