Two of the three MEAC football schools that currently participate in American football – Howard and South Carolina – will not face off this season.
That’s because pandemic-related travel restrictions in the District of Columbia mean that games previously scheduled for Saturday and again April 10 are canceled, the two schools announced on Tuesday.
The state of South Carolina has allegedly replaced Alabama A&M in its schedule.
That game, possible because Alabama A&M had its Saturday game with Mississippi Valley State postponed due to COVID-19 problems in the Delta Devils program, will be played at 1:30 pm in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
Howard will not play again until March 27 against Delaware State.
Also read: ‘Shooting in a season’: Remaining MEAC schools are expected to continue after the league suspends the spring football season
Current DC COVID-19 travel restrictions apply to anyone who comes to the area of a jurisdiction with more than 10 cases per 100,000 people. Visitors must take the test 72 hours or less before traveling to DC
South Carolina, according to data from the health department, has an average of 30 cases per 100,000 residents, which far exceeds the restriction limits.
The schedule change now means that teams will once again have to adjust quickly to make up for it. Six other MEAC schools – Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M, Morgan State, North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central – all chose not to participate in the spring competition.