Article on today’s Vindy/Tribune:
MVFC moves season to spring
YSU SPORTS
AUG 8, 2020
JOE SIMON
Sports Reporter
jsimon@tribtoday.com
The Missouri Valley Football Conference is moving league games to the spring of 2021, the conference’s presidents council announced Friday night, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be fall football at Stambaugh Stadium.
The MVFC Presidents Council, which is headed by YSU president Jim Tressel, said the decision was based off student-athletes having a chance to compete in the FCS playoffs, but with safety as the top priority.
“Without question the most important part of our decision-making process was listening to our student-athletes and hearing their feelings,” Tressel said in a statement. “What we clearly heard was that they want to play this year for a chance to participate in the FCS Playoffs. It’s great to know that they believe we are taking all the steps necessary to keep them safe in the process. All 11 MVFC teams weighed in with their positions on the options we considered, and all thoughts and concerns guided our thinking.”
A spokesperson for Youngstown State University said the Penguins still plan to play their three nonconference games in the fall.
YSU is set to play at Akron in its season opener on Sept. 5. They would host Duquesne (Sept. 12) and Eastern Kentucky (Sept. 19) if the schedule remains the same. The spokesperson said the schedule is in flux because of the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Penguins were to begin preseason camp Friday, but YSU postponed its start due to changes in NCAA rules. The Penguins, operating under first-year coach Doug Phillips, hope to open camp in the coming days, according to the spokesperson.
