Division I fall championships will take place in spring, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors announced in a release Tuesday.
The Board’s decision impacts cross country, field hockey, soccer and volleyball, among other sports. Football programs in the FCS will also be affected, but programs in the FBS — including Maryland — will not.
“The plan sent to us by the Division I Council provides the maximum number of opportunities to fall student-athletes to participate in NCAA championships while still being fiscally responsible,” acting board chair Denise Trauth said in a statement.
Spring competition is poised to start in late January, with regular seasons scheduled to wrap up by late April. National championships will finish as late as May 17. Brackets for NCAA tournaments will be filled at 75 percent capacity, per Tuesday’s release.
However, contests that take place in the fall will be considered in selecting teams for spring NCAA tournaments. The ACC, Big 12 and SEC are set to start their regular seasons this semester. The Big Ten has yet to announce a start date for fall sports other than football.
