Patriot League calls off entire fall soccer season

The Patriot League has called off the entire fall sports season, including men’s and women’s soccer, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the announcement released Monday by the league’s Council of Presidents, the door will remain open for a potential re-scheduling of fall sports to the spring semester.

Additionally, the two U.S. services academies that are members of the Patriot League – Army and Navy – will be permitted to make their own decisions regarding fall competition, due to their unique institutional status.

Ten men’s and women’s soccer programs are members of the Patriot League: Lehigh, Loyola Maryland, Navy, Lafayette, Colgate, Bucknell, American, Army, Boston University and Holy Cross.

Navy went 16-3-3 last season on the women’s side to finish atop the Patriot League standings. Lehigh went 13-5-3 to place first on the men’s side.

See below for today’s full statement from the Patriot League:

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Recognizing the global COVID-19 pandemic continues to present significant challenges to our campuses and communities, the Patriot League Council of Presidents announces the following decisions regarding Patriot League competition:

●        Patriot League teams will not engage in competition in the fall season (championship and non-championship);
●        Decisions surrounding winter and spring sport competition will be made at a later date; and,
●        The opportunity for conditioning, strength training and other practice opportunities in all sports will be permitted provided health and safety conditions support such activities.

Because the United States Military Academy and the United States Naval Academy are unique in their environments and their missions within higher education, the Council of Presidents agree that the academies may continue to engage in competitive opportunities as considered appropriate by their respective Superintendents.

The collegiate athletics experience at all Patriot League institutions is valuable to fulfilling our educational and developmental missions, and the League recognizes that any degree of non-competition this fall is deeply disappointing to our student-athletes, coaches, and fans. However, the health and safety of our campuses and communities must be our highest priority.

The League is committed to exploring creative approaches and alternatives to providing future competitive experiences to our fall sport student-athletes, including the possibility of conducting fall sport competition and championships in the second semester.

Patriot League Council of Presidents
Sylvia Mathews Burwell, American University
Robert A. Brown, Boston University
John Bravman, Bucknell University
Philip Boroughs, S.J., College of the Holy Cross
Brian W. Casey, Colgate University
Alison R. Byerly, Lafayette College
John D. Simon, Lehigh University
Brian Linnane, S.J., Loyola University Maryland
Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams, United States Military Academy
Vice Adm. Sean Buck, United States Naval Academy